Another chapter is ready for you guys! I'm slowly but surely getting motivated again, so yay. Enjoy my lovelies!

Disclaimer: I only own Piper. Original story belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

It was the afternoon by the time the company woke up. Well, all but Piper were waking up. The lack of sleep really caught up to her, especially after the adrenaline kick she got thanks to the trolls. Bilbo noticed the young woman's still sleeping form and sighed; the Hobbit wasn't too keen on waking his friend up knowing she needed the sleep. "Piper, it's time we got a move on," he said gently shaking her shoulder.

The twenty-three year old's eyes opened before she yawned (rather loudly which was normal) and she stretched. She remained laying down for a moment as her brain began taking everything in; as she stared at the trees above her, her eyes scrunched up in confusion until she sat up, stood, and continued to stretch her body which resulted in many joints popping; the pops started at her ankles as she stretched and continued up her body until her neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists popped. At the sound of her joints cracking, some of the Dwarves looked at her and stared. "That doesn't sound healthy," Fili pointed out.

"Probably not," Piper answered as she started gathering her items together. "I stopped caring about many things that are considered 'unhealthy'. I've had a ton of issues since I was a kid."

The young woman continued gathering her items as breakfast was being made. The other Dwarves were gathering together the gold and other treasures that they got from the troll hoard. Once Piper finished, she watched everyone in silence; her body wasn't one for much activity after just waking up. She just stared as her mind finally spaced out. Well, until Bilbo started waving a hand in front of her face. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm still not one-hundred percent awake..."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Bilbo tried to clarify.

"Yeah, I just need to wake up..." she answered rubbing her eyes. "Coffee would definitely help..."

Satisfied with his answer, Bilbo nodded and stood next to his friend. Soon the food was ready and everyone was eating. Once everyone was done, they went to a nearby river to bury the treasure and put protective spells around it in case they came back. In seemingly no time the company were all back on their ponies and continued East towards the Lonely Mountain.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked Gandalf as they rode.

"To look ahead," the wizard replied.

"And what brought you back in the nick of time?" the Dwarf prince pressed.

"Looking behind," Gandalf answered.

"Exactly!" Thorin exclaimed. "But could you be more plain?"

"I went on to spy out our road. It will soon become dangerous and difficult. Also, I was anxious about replenishing our small stock of provisions. I had not gone very far, however, when I met a couple of friends of mine from Rivendell."

"Where's that?" Bilbo asked.

"Don't interrupt!" Gandalf said. "You will get there in a few days now, if we're lucky, and find out all about it. As I was saying, I met two of Elrond's people. They were hurrying along out of fear of the trolls. They were the ones who told me that three of them had come down from the mountains and settled in the woods not far from the road: they had frightened everyone away from the district, and the waylaid strangers.

"I immediately had a feeling that I was wanted back. Looking behind I saw a fire in the distance and made for it. So now you know. Please be more careful next time or we shall never get anywhere!"

"Thank you," Thorin said.

Silence remained over the company for the remainder of the day. They did once again set up camp again that night under the stars. Piper's mind wasn't exactly kind to her that day; her depression and uncertainty corrupted her thoughts to the point where she distanced herself a bit from the company. This went unnoticed by the group much to her darker side's relief. As they set up camp, the young woman set her sleeping area up a little ways away from the group; she wanted to be alone for the time being. Once she finished, she climbed a nearby tree and took in her surroundings. The world of Middle Earth was truly gorgeous. Piper's blue eyes wondered up to the stars, and she sighed; she missed her home.

The female didn't hear someone else climbing the tree, nor did she notice that she was being looked at. "You've been rather quiet," Fili pointed out which caused Piper to jump slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he added.

"No, you're fine," she responded before returning her attention to the night sky.

Fili looked at their female companion before also looking up. "Have you not seen the stars before?" he asked.

Piper shook her head, "That's not it... I've just not seen them so bright... I'm also seeing if I can spot any familiar constellations..."

"Do you usually enjoy looking at the stars?" Fili questioned.

The brunette looked at the Dwarf to find him once again looking at her. Piper looked down as she drew her knees in. "I sometimes did. I couldn't always find the constellations. Orion's belt usually was the easiest to spot... I found them to be the one constant in the life I knew before I met Bilbo..." she answered.

"How did you meet Bilbo?"

"I was lost; one day I was in a forest I didn't recognize... I was alone with no one... I spent the majority of the day wondering around trying to find something. The next day I found the Shire, and Bilbo was kind enough to let me stay. He's been a really good friend to me every since... he didn't have to take me in, but he did," Piper finally answered after a minute of staying quiet. "He saw something in an absolute stranger despite of me not having anything to offer."

Fili watched as the young woman's facial expression scrunched up in distraught as she went on. She was in pain, and whatever was causing it she didn't want to talk about. Tears started for form in Piper's eyes causing the young woman to aggressively wipe at her eyes. "To suddenly be forced into a situation with nothing to your name other than the clothes on your back and whatever belongings that happened to be near you... it makes you feel so much more insignificant... As I told Balin, I'm helping you guys because you have a chance to get everything back... I try not to let myself think about it, but the silence is cruel and my mind likes to torture me," she continued. "And even thought I think I can be of use, I know my presence doesn't make that much of a difference..."

"You can't go back to your home?" the Dwarf asked after a moment.

Piper shook her head in response, "No, but even if I could, I don't know how everything would work out... something happened that can't be undone." The young female let out a dry laugh before weakly smiling at the Dwarf. "I guess one of the benefits of this is I don't have anything to lose if I were to die. No one to mourn for me, no family to cry over me and swear at everyone for letting me die... it's a bittersweet feeling," she stated. 'At least not again...' she finished in her brain.

"Do you not fear death?"

"I'd be lying if I said no. It's not the part of actually dying, but the how I will die..."

"Why do you think so much about death?"

"Because anything could happen at any given time. For example, I could die in my sleep tonight."

"But if you're dwelling on death, are you really living?"

Piper stared at Fili as she pondered his question. "It's not," she began, "but I'm not worried about my life."

"What are you worried about?"

"I'll tell you once we cross the mountain pass... I think it'll be good to do so then."

Fili frowned at her answer, "That's a good while away, and we may not even take that road."

"Maybe so, but it'll be the best time. Trust me when I say that," Piper finished before once again looking at the sky. After a moment she smiled to herself. "Enough about me though; look, I can see Orion's belt," she stated pointing up at the stars. "It's those three stars."

"What is Orion's belt?"

"Well, it's the belt of the constellation of Orion, who is a hunter in Greek mythology. That, however, is a story for a different time. You can't see the constellation too well, but it's that grouping of stars," Piper explained as she continued to point. "And look, that group is called 'The Big Dipper', and if you follow it, it's connected to 'Ursa Major, the Great Bear'!"

Fili followed her finger as she continued to point out constellations and other familiar star groupings. "You really did a lot of star gazing, huh?" he asked.

"It took the edge off after a stressful day. Seeing patterns in something so simple yet extraordinary has always been a hobby of mine. For example, when I was younger I always saw sleeping dragons in a group of hills, saw patterns in clouds, and so on. My imagination has always been something that got away with me."

"Definitely sounds like it," he chuckled.

Piper smiled at the young Dwarf. "Thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed to be distracted from myself," she said. "I am my worst enemy when I'm alone."

"We may not know you or Bilbo too well, but we do care. You're willing to help us where others wouldn't."

"Bilbo loves adventures whether he admits it or not. As for me, I've always been the type to give anyone the shirt off my back it they needed it. I love helping if I can."

Fili smiled before he started to climb down. "It's best we got some rest before our journey tomorrow," he stated.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Piper hummed before following after the Dwarf. "Thank you for listening to my ranting."

"It's not a problem, lass," Fili replied; he headed to his blankets next to his brother Kili.

The twenty-three year old sighed as she sat on her mess of blankets and watched the company from where she sat. It was clear that they were all close friends and family; it hurt knowing hers were gone forever. 'I wonder if they're getting on with their lives okay,' she thought. 'Are they missing me as much as I miss them? Or more?' Shaking her head of those thoughts, Piper went underneath her blanket and curled up to keep herself warm. It took an hour or so, but sleep eventually came over her.

The following morning Piper woke up to find Bilbo, Fili, and Kili sleeping not too far from her. She stared at her still sleeping companions; the young woman knew she was alone last night, so seeing them there currently made her mind draw a blank. Piper shrugged her shoulders before walking into the woods a little ways to relieve herself. When the company first started out it took her a moment to get used to the wilderness (Not having a proper bathroom, not being able to bathe regularly, and so on), but she was enjoying the experience for the most part Well, minus the chance of death by the trolls and the upcoming goblins.

Once her task was finished, she made her way back to camp to find the rest of the company waking up. She went back to her spot before rolling up her blankets. "Morning sleepy heads," she said to the three near her.

"Good morning," the three replied in their own time.

Piper smiled at them as she finished gathering her items and stretching. The morning went by in mostly silence as they ate, packed, and once again went on their way. Everyone was quiet as they made their way along the road, and Piper was going stir crazy. Not liking the silence, she pulled out her iPod and earphones before hitting shuffle. The young woman loved her music more than anything other than reading. She hummed along to Air Supply's Lost in Love as they trotted along; now Piper wasn't the best singer, but she could sing if she tried. As for what she was listening to, it was nostalgic for her since her dad had listened to Air Supply quite a bit. She herself usually wasn't one for romantic songs.

Bilbo looked at her and noticed the white headphones; it was weird and unusual in his eyes. "What is that?" he asked; he wasn't aware that Piper wasn't able to hear him due to her zoning out.

Fili and Kili looked at each other, grinned, then road up to both sides of Piper; Kili ended up taking the iPod and looking at it like it was a snake with two heads.

"Hey!" Piper said as he pulled the device away which caused her earbuds to fall out.

"What is this?" Kili asked as he looked over it.

"It's an electronic that plays music," the young woman answered.

Curious, the Dwarf took an earphone and mimicked Piper when he had seen it in her ear. Kili's face scrunched up in confusion at the sound. "I've never heard anything like this. What language is it?" he asked.

"It's English, and the music is going to be a lot different than what you've ever heard," Piper tried to explain. "Can I have it back?"

Kili handed the iPod back to Piper. "Can you sing?" he asked; singing was one of the many hobbies that Dwarves took up.

"Kinda; I'm not exactly the best when it comes to singing. I've gotten better, but I'm nowhere near perfect," she answered.

"I'd like to hear someday," Fili cut in.

"As would I," Bilbo added.

Piper blushed and looked down," I won't promise anything. I'm shy when it comes to singing."

Silence once again fell over the company as they made it to a thicker part of the forest. It wasn't the time to talk or sing since anything could be nearby. The weather continued to improve, but the fear of danger kept them from making much noise. Anytime the group set up camp to eat, the group took note that they had to further cut their portions. The horses pretty much had a banquet though since there was plenty of grass to eat. One morning they crossed a river at a wide shallow place, and once they made it up a steep and slippery bank, they saw that the great mountains had marched down very near to them. Piper thought it looked beautiful despite how dreary it looked. "Is that The mountain?" Bilbo asked solemnly.

"Of course not!" Balin answered. "That is only the beginning of the Misty Mountains, and we have got to get through, over, or under those somehow before we can get to the Wilderland beyond. And it is a deal of a way even from the other side of them to the Lonely Mountain in the East where Smaug lies on our treasure."

"Oh..." Bilbo said in dismay.

Gandalf soon let the way as they continued on their way. Piper knew why he did; they couldn't miss the road or they wouldn't be able to find Rivendell, or the proper path to lead them through the Misty Mountains. One false turn and they would have to start all over if they even managed to get back. This area was dangerous and she knew it. Morning soon passed and afternoon came, but there was still no sign of any dwelling.

The company came upon unexpected valleys that were narrow with steep sides, bogs, gullies, waterfalls, and even dark ravines. Not ever seeing anything like it before, Piper took the beauty in as they followed the path of white stones. Even with Gandalf leading it was a slow and challenging journey. Night time came around, and finally they came across the valley. "Here it is at last!" the wizard called.

Everyone gathered around Gandalf and looked over the edge of the slope they were on. The company made their way down the steep and winding path into the secret valley of Rivendell. The air steadily got warmer with their decent much to Piper's relief, and the smell of pine came over her senses. The young woman noticed Bilbo nodding off and smiled to herself. Still the company carried on, and as they did their spirits rose. They soon passed birch and oak trees, and the atmosphere was finally feeling comfortable. Soon they found themselves in an open glad not far above the banks of a stream. Suddenly there was a burst of song like laughter in the trees. "Oh! What are you doing, And where are you going? Your ponies need shoeing! The river is flowing! Oh! tra-la-la-lally here down in the valley!" the elves sang.

Piper found herself laughing with the elves as they continued their song while they hid in the trees. "Well well!" said a voice. "Just look! Bilbo the Hobbit on a pony, my dear!"

"Most astonishing and wonderful!" another replied.

Once again the elves broke out into song, and finally a tall young fellow came out of the trees and bowed to Gandalf and Thorin. "Welcome to the valley!" he said.

"Thank you," Thorin said gruffly; he noticed Gandalf was already off his horse and chatting with the elves.

"You are a little out of your way," the elf stated, "that is, if you're making your way to the only path across the water to get to the house beyond. We will set you right, but it would be best to go on foot until you are over the bridge. Are you going to stay with us and sing for a bit, or are you planning on leaving straight away? I can smell the wood fires for supper if you're wanting to move ahead."

After they said their goodbyes (the Dwarves were hungry) and dismounted their horses, they led them to the Last Homely House; they were soon upon the narrow bridge was only as wide as the ponies themselves. Slowly but surely the company made their way over the bridge as the elves teased the company. Gandalf finally big the laughing elves goodnight (they were being a bit too merry in his opinion at that moment), and the elves went on their merry way. At last they had made it to the Last Homely House and found the doors opened up wide.

Elrond was a gracious host to the company, and Piper truly enjoyed learning about their culture. The female had also decided to take advantage of the wash room when she could since she knew they would be there in Rivendell for fourteen days. Piper was enjoying the weather in June during their break in travel, and this also allowed her to think about the next event in their journey: the goblins. This was another thing they couldn't avoid because this was where Bilbo would get the ring of power; the One Ring was crucial for the entirety of Middle Earth not just this point in time. She also had to make sure she didn't reveal it was the ring of power so Frodo could go on his journey later on in the future.

Piper sighed as she leaned over the railing; Rivendell was truly a breathtaking place. Even at night the place just seemed magical in her eyes. Her worries seemed to disappear into the night as she watched the elves go about their own business. She stood in her pajamas and was absorbing everything in when Gandalf decided to join her; the two stood in silence for a short bit. "It's quite the view, isn't it?" the wizard finally asked.

"Yes, it is. I've never seen anything like it before. I know we've been here for a few days now, but I still can't get over it," Piper replied.

"You haven't seen a lot since we started our journey. You've been looking at it as if everything is new," Gandalf pointed out.

Piper was silent for a moment before deciding to open up a bit. She decided to do this to make her story more believable later. "Because it is," she began. "Everything here is new to me. I can't reveal too much just yet, but I know things because of where I'm from. Certain things must happen, and things cannot stray too much or things can go very wrong. For example, once Elrond reads the moon ruins and we take the mountain pass, something will happen, and it must for the better of all Middle Earth. Bilbo must find something."

Gandalf just carefully listened as she spoke quietly. "So we are to take the mountain pass?" he questioned.

Piper nodded, "And when it starts to storm we have to take shelter in the cave."

"I knew there was something that you were aware of, but to think you know the future if what you say is true..."

"I will only know it if things do not change," Piper explained. "If things don't stay on course, I cannot say what will happen."

Gandalf accepted her answer, and after talking about the journey so far, the two bid each other goodnight before retreating to their temporary rooms.

Okay, so before you guys say anything about the constellations, in an interview with J.R.R. Tolkien, Tolkien does stated that Middle Earth is just an older Earth, so it is the same planet and same universe as our own, just a different time line.

The elves singing and teasing is actually in book for those wondering who have not read the book (it's quite amusing to me, but then again I get amused by everything). If anyone is reading this and has not read the book, I recommend doing so because it's a good book; the movies were just okay and they added a lot of things that weren't really mentioned (if it was, then it wasn't important for the story such as bolg, sauron, sarumon). Not to mention I thought it was stupid that the movies added the drama between the elves and the dwarves in the movie. Yes, in the book it says that the two don't get along, but it's because the elves tease the dwarves of their beards.

On a side note, I'm still not sure if I should do a pairing. If I do, who do you think I should partner Piper with?