The company travelled without stops, riding the ponies hard to make way toward Erebor, Thorin was impatient not letting them stop to stretch their legs or eat until daylight slowly started to fade. They stopped along a rocky hillside, one side was sheer cliff the other densely packed with trees, perfect to avoid detection. Kili dismounted his pony offering a hand to help her get down, she gladly accepted her feet hitting the ground with an audible thud. She took a long deep breath and cracked her back, groaning as her bones popped and she wiggled her shoulders to loosen her muscles. She looked out over the cliff side, admiring the view, vast green trees and open rolling plains stretched out as far as her keen eyesight would allow. She could see Bilbo approached from the corner of her eye, he was holding a pipe smoking and she sniffed the air, tobacco smoke wafted around them, and she sneezed stepping away.
"Apologies" he muttered, and she waved her hand with a smile "It's quite alright, I just have a sensitive nose, is all"
Thorin barked out instructions for the company, telling her to go gather firewood and she nodded deciding it was best to not argue, she travelled away from the little camp in search of some dried limbs she could easily chop with a borrowed axe from Dwalin. She eased her footing across some mossy branches and around fallen logs, spotting a nice dried out tree, it looked dead she placed her palm on the rough surface and gave it a gentle shove, it was solid enough for a small fire, the wood had not yet succumbed to rot. She shouldered the heavy axe, taking a step back she swung with all her might severing low hanging branches with ease. Once she was satisfied, she had enough wood, she slung the axe over her shoulder through the straps of her pack and carried as much as her arms would allow toward the sounds of laugher. She stepped through the trees and tossed the pile down next to a small fire that had already been started, cleaning her hands on her trousers she leaned toward the great fat dwarf Bombur watching him prepare a meagre looking meal. She inhaled deeply it actually smelt rather appetizing, her stomach growled in agreeance, and she smiled sheepishly as he turned his head and smiled through his great red beard.
Once dinner was served, she settled down along a nice flat rock surface with her bowl of stew in between Fili and Kili as they patted a spot on the group beside them. She sat down with a smile, bringing the bowl up to her nose and sniffing as she crossed her legs. She took a bite and groaned as the flavor exploded in her mouth, she was never very good at cooking, her meals usually ended up burnt or not at all.
"Bombur, this is wonderful" she said happily, forgotten were her manners as she shoveled it down quickly blushing as the others stared at her with little smirks.
"You seem hungry lass" Balin chuckled, and she shrugged "Aye I was, strange not having to eat something burnt for a change" she giggled.
"You can't cook" Kili rose a brow.
She shook her head "Not unless you like the taste of charcoal"
"How about sewing?" Bofur asked cheerily holding up a pair of socks riddled with holes.
She wiggled her nose and nodded "Aye I can sew, I guess me amad did teach me some things about being a lady"
"Apparently manners were not one of them" Thorin grunted crossing his arms staring at the fire.
She narrowed her eyes "Oh no manners I aint got didn't know I needed to bring them to take back the mountain"
"Ah relax you don't lassie, we are more interested in fighting skills" Balin interjected.
She smiled at the old Dwarrow "Well then yer in-luck Master Balin, fighting I do just fine"
Dwalin snorted and rolled his eyes and she glared at his bald head glowing against the firelight "Oh what don't believe me" she grunted.
"Lassies don't fight" he mumbled.
She smiled with too many teeth her eyes glowing unnaturally in the dim lighting "Oh I beg to differ; I'd wager I could best half of ya no problems"
"Oh, lets no get ahead of ourselves Riswynn" Fili chuckled, and she smirked at him "Come now Fili us yellow haired dwarves need to stick together take my side against grumpy ol Dwalin"
Dwalin grunted shoveling stew into his mouth his eyes glaring at her across the fire "Dams" he grunted miserably.
"So, I've been meaning to ask Miss, why are your eyes glowing golden?" Bilbo asked cocking his head to the side, his feet pulled up to his chest, chin resting on his knees.
She frowned and looked at the fire "It's the curse, or so I've been told" she chuckled without humor fiddling with the spoon sitting in her empty bowl on her lap.
"Curse, what curse" Bilbo asked alarmed.
She shrugged forcing a smile "Ever heard of dragon sickness lad? Well picture that only worse, my ma had it passed it down to me, that blasted dragon cursed my blood, and I have suffered for it"
Gandalf who was sitting a way from the group smoking his pipe, turning to look at her as she explained, his keen eyes taking in her face, the way her eyes glowed in the dark, the strange swirling in their depths like pools of fire and molten gold. He shuddered, he wasn't aware of a curse befalling anyone from a dragon, no there was only one possible explanation he would have to seek council first before he confirmed his suspicions.
"Is that why you've come along to kill Smaug?" Bilbo asked curiously.
She sighed and looked out toward the misty mountains although it was far off and not visible, she pictured it tall and magnificent, the clouds circling the peaks of the mountain, and the red fire drake that slumbered where he didn't belong. She clenched her teeth "Aye I'd love nothing more than to kill the dragon, but alas what is one lowly dam to do, to shove em out of the mountain for good would be enough for me, our people have suffered long enough its time we find a place to belong again"
"So, you don't care about the gold?" Glion grunted.
She turned and smiled at him shaking her head "No, what would I do with gold I have no house no home, I just want that bastard to die, give me share back to the people they need it more than I"
"You are unlike any dam I've ever met" Gloin grunted.
She chuckled "Oh I'm one of a kind"
"So this curse, you have any special talents, side effects" Kili asked throwing an arm around her shoulders and she grunted blowing out a breath.
"Of sure lots of em, I tend to turn into a fire breathing dragon when I'm angry" he slowly let her go and she turned her head snapping her teeth playfully at him.
He paled and chuckled nervously, as she bumped him with her shoulder "No honestly I haven't noticed much, except my sense of smell and I can see in the dark"
"Well, that sounds like good things" Kili mumbled.
She shook her head "Aye those are, but I have an exceptionally bad temper, and most people are afraid of me, my clan thought I was a sorceress, and I was banished, which is just ridiculous I was only sixteen at the time"
"What, you've been alone since you were sixteen" Fili said shocked. She shrugged "Aye, it's been a long time since I lived with other dwarves"
"You mentioned traveling to the iron hills and visiting friends there" Balin said, she sniffed and nodded "On occasion I go and visit for a time, but again most are hostile toward me, but Dain is so loud he scares most folk away" she laughed thinking of her rambunctious fiery friend.
"Dain" Thorin said looking up at her, she shrugged nodding "Aye, what of him"
"Dain as in the leader of the iron hills" he said, and she rolled her eyes "Keep up Thorin I've already said his name"
"How do you know him" he said suspiciously.
She sighed "I lived there for a time when I was young, we often played together, we were round the same age I think, he was always so loud as was I, he weren't afraid of me and I didn't care that he screamed most of the time" she chuckled thinking of her friend.
"He sounds lovely" Bilbo muttered sarcastically.
"Why Mr. Baggins are you finding the company of Dwarves to be to taxing" she giggled winking at him.
He rolled his eyes finishing his stew with a yawn, causing her to do the same. He watched her lean back into the hard rock behind her seemingly comfortable as she closed her eyes. He looked at her head with a frown, she had several heavy plaits weaved expertly into her golden curls, it looked uncomfortable as the tiny beads and gems dug into her skull. She didn't seem to notice or care, and he wondered if dwarves were just hardy enough to not notice the uncomforts of living outside, he preferred his warm bed and soft sheets, sleeping on the hard ground wasn't agreeing with him.
A long shrill cry sounded out in the night, several sets of eyes snapped toward the forest below, scanning the surroundings, Bilbo got to his feet in a panic "What was that" he stuttered in freight.
She cracked a single golden eye and smiled "That was a Warg Master Baggins"
Bilbo spun and looked at her, taking in her lazy expression "What how can you be sure"
Kili and Fili smirked at her as she gave them a subtle nod a smile on her face. "Yes, orc screamers, astride Warg roam these parts, come into little camps in the middle of the night to feed on unsuspecting folk" Fili chuckled looking at a wide-eyed Bilbo.
"That's enough you think an orc raid in the middle of the night is funny, you know nothing of this world" Thorin growled stomping across camp to his bedroll.
"He's right ladies orcs are no laughing matter, and Thorin has more reason to hate them than most" Balin said with a sigh watching as their leader curled in on himself glaring at the firelight.
Fili, Kili and Riswynn ducked their heads like scolded children as Balin began to tell the tale of the battle of Azanulbizar, how Thror was beheaded by Azog how Thorin rallied the remaining dwarves and fought back killing the pale orc reclaiming the ancient homeland of Khazad-dûm. Bilbo was paying apt attention looking at Balin absorbing every word as were the others, all except her, her gaze was trained on Thorin who refused to look at anyone, she felt a pang in her chest at the pain etched in his crystalline eyes despite the frown on his face.
The howl sounded again, closer this time and she watched as Bilbo shook like a leaf in the wind, she rolled her eyes at his soft nature, the wild was no place for gentle folk who could not fight.
She yawned again before slowly standing up cracking her neck walking to the edge of the little camp toward the cliffside, she placed her boots along the edge and took a deep breath, the scent of the damp forest hit her, subtle smells mixing in, but a distinct foul stench lingered she opened her mouth wide and howled loudly listening to the far away answering call.
Bilbo squeaked in alarm, terrified that she was howling back to them, this dwarf was clearly insane, she spun around on him with a smirk her eyes wide and glowing like a wolf "Relax master Baggins I was only teasing you, its just a pack of wolves"
"So, there is no orcs then" he muttered hopefully.
She walked to his side and patted him lightly on the shoulder "Oh no Bilbo there is most certainly orcs out there, I can smell them on the wind, foul things they are but fear not they won't get to you" she whispered gently giving his shoulder a little squeeze of comfort.
He groaned "Wonderful"
She smiled brightly at him and pushed him toward his little bedroll "Get some sleep Master Baggins you'll need it; I will take first watch"
She went to sit on the ledge next to the camp, her feet dangling off the edge as she looked out into the forest, keeping herself Intune with her surroundings she watched and listened for any movement. It was quiet and a chill crept in on the little camp in the middle of the night as the embers slowly faded and the fire died down, she didn't want to wake anyone content to sit and watch all night, she was used to sleeping very little and by the exhaustion written all over her companions faces she knew they likely needed it more than her. She pulled the thin little blanket higher over Bilbos shoulders as he shivered in his sleep as she made her rounds through camp, smirking at him. He was such a tiny little thing, she hoped he would survive the journey. She knelt by the dying fire and placed several small logs watching as it cracked and popped back to life, as the fire slowly ate away at the logs. It was fascinating to her, the destruction it was capable of but also the comfort it could provide. She sighed sitting down cross legged pulling her hair around the front of her shoulders absentmindedly playing with her plaits. Her fingers seemed to stray to her family plait along the topside of her head, she pulled it down looking at the small iron bead, thinking of her mother she sent a silent pray to Mahal promising she would avenge her even if it cost her, her life.