Food was thrown, leafy greens and elvish bread flying sailing toward the elves that lined the back walls playing soft musical instruments. She clapped her hands and stomped her feet with the tune a smile gracing her face, as her heels clacked loudly against the stone floor. She felt her spirits lift after such a terrible past couple of weeks, Bofur was a talented singer, and his enthusiasm and cheery nature was rubbing off on the other Dwarrow who joined in clacking their utensils and fists off the fine tabletop. She even caught Thorin grinning as he drank from his tankard, his eye flashing with mirth as he watched the company finally enjoying themselves.

Riswynn squeaked with delight laughter pouring from her mouth as Bofur hopped down from is perch and approached her still singing he linked his arm with her and began spinning them around, she laughed grabbing up her skirts in a fist trying desperately to keep his tempo. Bofur was quick on his feet, his cheeks tinted a deep hue from all the wine singing between fits of laughter, spinning the pretty dam around and around, her golden hair fanning around her as she spun, her eyes sparkling like molten gold, her fine blue dress flared out around her, her musical laughter spilling from her mouth, she was a fine dam indeed.

When his song came to an end, she panted out a breath a beaming smile on her face, she curtsied toward him "Thank you for the fine dance and song" she chuckled clutching her long gown. She turned her eyes toward the others who were laughing and merrymaking, food thrown all over the table, she caught a glimpse of Lord Elrond behind them and smirked at his frown, clearly, he had never dined with dwarves before, rambunctious behavior was a normal part of a dining experience, the slow classical music the elves preferred was just boring to listen too.

"Another lad, another" Dwalin roared, his mouth half full of chewed food as he pounded his fist on the table staring at Bofur.

"Well lads there's only one thing for it" he chuckled stomping his boots, he started a face jovial beat and began to sing again.

Riswynn smiled and went to the table grabbing up a fairly clean tankard she poured herself a drink, she took a step back with a laugh as wine was sloshed in her direction, the red liquid hit the marble ground and she leaped back to avoid her dress being soiled, she felt her foot snag on her skirts and began to tumble backwards bracing her behind for a rough impact. She hit something solid instead, holding her arm out in front of her body her managed to not spill a single drop, she cried out victoriously and brought the wine to her lips spinning on her heal to thank whoever caught her. She stared up into Thorin's face and beamed behind her cup taking a slow sip, her eyes capture his. She could feel his hands on her waist, and she lowered the cup and smiled brightly at him

"Thank you Thorin, what would I ever do without you" she teased batting her long lashes.

He snorted and rolled his eyes "Fall most likely" he grunted.

She laughed and nodded "Likely, good thing my arse has enough padding to cushion my fall"

Thorin coughed and released her, a small grin on his face as she slapped him playfully on the chest "C'mon dance with me"

Riswynn didn't even give him a moment to consider or deny her request when she grabbed him and linked arms like her dance with Bofur, he stumbled a few steps as she forced him to move.

"You'll spill your wine" he sighed as she tugged on his arm.

She snorted "Any Dwarrow worth his skin can dance and drink at the same time" she jested taking a swig from her tankard as she stared moving.

He rolled his eyes but complied, if she wanted to dance then he wouldn't refuse, and he'd be damned if he let her lead him around. He pulled their bodies closer together, and spun her around, watching as she laughed amused. She was light on her feet, despite the heavy looking clothing she followed him as he turned her about, switching directions to throw her off but she remained at his side, a beaming smile on her face, panting at the fast tempo of the music. As she was spinning around, she caught Bofur's eye who waggled his brows at her and began singing faster and faster, his smile huge as he winked at her. She wanted to raise a brow at him, when suddenly Thorin spun her about again and she giggled in surprise her hair flying about, several strands getting stuck in her face. A final spin and she was chest to chest with him, her breath coming out in little pants a smile on her face. she looked up at her hair and blew it out of her face cackling

"That..was..fun.." she grinned taking a step back, looking up at his face she was surprised to find him actually smiling at her. She beamed back and curtsied dipping her head, before turning around to face the others.

"Aright give me a break lads, I need more ale" Bofur wheezed flopping back down on the little chairs provided for them, grabbing his tankard he took a greedy drink, the ale pouring from the edge of the cup down his beard.

"You are a wonderful dancer lass" Balin said looking at the happy dwarrowdam as she sat down as delicately as she could with all the added material.

She blushed at the attention "Stop" she waved her hand embarrassed "Aint nothing"

"Where you learn to dance lass" Dori said scrutinizing her.

She looked over at him and shrugged, she was sure if he enjoyed her company or not, he seemed to dote on his younger brothers, but didn't seem as interested in the rest of the company "All dams are taught at a young age, among other boring things" she snorted and took a sip of her wine.

"What else did they teach you" Bilbo cut in gazing at her curiously, dwarves tended to be so secretive about their culture and lifestyle, he wondered what things female dwarves were responsible for.

Riswynn grunted into her tankard and rolled her eyes, taking a long pull she smacked her lips looking at the little hobbit "Things that certainly wouldn't interest you Master Baggins" she chuckled as she looked at him "Actually they might, besides having and raising dwarrowlings of course since you can't exactly do that"

"Raising dwarrowlings isn't boring, it's a dam's responsibility to her husband" Dwalin grunted at the ignorant dam.

She rose a brow at him and grinned "Why have you had many dwarrowlings Dwalin, I'm sure your husband is very happy with you"

Dwalin turned red with anger and pointed a finger at her "You are a poor excuse for a dam no wonder you haven't found a husband"

She threw her head back and laughed, her eyes flashing red "I am many things Dwalin, and a poor excuse for a dam is likely among that list, but I care not I've yet to find a single Dwarrow that can match me for strength, sped, nor wit and Ill be damned if I let some fat pompous arsehole marry me just so I can pop out his runts" she slammed her tankard down and stood up pushing her chair out, causing it to screech against the floor "Excuse me lads, I think it best I turn in for the evening"

"Wait ill walk with you" Bilbo said getting up quickly, stumbling after the dam as she picked up her skirts and took off.

Balin sighed and glared at his brother "Well that was rude brother"

Dwalin looked exasperated "What come now brother, she's impossible, what dam doesn't want to rear dwarrowlings, dams aren't supposed to be warriors, I don't even know why we brought her"

"Enough" one word from Thorin and Dwalin snapped his mouth shut, it wasn't loud or forceful but the look in his blue eyes sent a chill down Dwalin's spine.

"Well, I like her, she's fiery, protected us from those Wargs, found Thorin and Gandalf those blades, even hunted us some nice game" Bofur said shrugging his shoulders.

Dwalin grunted and drank from his tankard, keeping his mouth closed.

…

"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked quietly keeping in set with the dam as she walked weaving through the many passageways towards her room.

Riswynn looked at him from the corner of her eye and shrugged "Aye, I'm fine, the things he said, I've heard em all before, it used to bother me but" she paused, and her smile faded as she sighed "well I guess I got thick skin lad"

Bilbo twitched his nose as he followed her, she looked distressed, despite her saying she was fine he could see the color fade from her vibrant eyes, her smile seemed forced. He decided to change topics he cleared his throat

"Uh perhaps you can't teach me to use my sword during our stay" he mumbled.

She smiled at that and nodded "Very well Bilbo, how about tomorrow morning we begin?"

He nodded swallowing hard, he didn't actually want to learn but he knew fighting was something she enjoyed, and he would love to see her smile again. They stopped outside her doorway, and he bowed his head

"Goodnight Riswynn" he said quietly as she smiled and slipped through her door bidding him goodnight.

….

The sun was just gracing the horizon the first light of day peeking into Rivendell when Riswynn managed to rouse Bilbo from sleep

"Come now Bilbo, get up we are going to the training grounds" she smiled at him her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Bilbo groaned as he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes he frowned at the excited dam, she was dressed differently, wearing a tight fitted leather jerkin, and pants, her arms were exposed, and she was wearing a thick pair of furred boots and bracers. She was ready for training her hair tied back the plaits neatly tucked into a thick tail at the back of her head. She tossed him his sword and smiled turning on her heel she walked away waiting for him to follow.

She led him past the dining hall and down several corridors until the warm light enveloped them as they came to a small clearing, there were weapons lined along a backwall, and his gaze traveled to the weapons nervously.

Riswynn smiled at his discomfort "Relax Bilbo, we won't be using real weapons lad, we are using these" she smiled victoriously as she pulled out two crude looking wooden swords.

Bilbo narrowed his eyes and looked closer at them, they looked to be table legs of some sort that she had fashioned into makeshift swords "Did you use table legs"

She chuckled "Aye, my room had two many I thought the elves surely wont miss one, so I snapped em off and shaved em down myself, not too bad if I say so myself" she said proudly swinging them in wide arch's.

She tossed one to Bilbo who caught it clumsily and brought it to his chest "Now first thing lad is working on your footwork, you have to be quick when fighting" she said lunging at him, chuckling as he took a step back and landed on his rear.

She held out a hand and hauled him to his feet "Hobbits are naturally light on their feet, you can use your speed to your advantage" she said circling him correcting his footing and the way he held his sword.

"No don't hold it like that and swing it wildly you are not carving a ham" she laughed, she twisted her wrist and displayed her swordsmanship, the movements fluid and precise. "Think of the blade as an extension of your arm, it flows with your body, it follows your commands"

He swung the wooden sword at her head, and she leapt back with a smile, he was quick, but she was quicker "Good Master Baggins, now feet apart, one in front of the other like this" she demonstrated her footwork, "Knees slightly bent, if the enemy comes at you, from this position you can easily maneuver away"

She spent the better part of the morning teaching him to wield his table sword, he was clumsy and fought like a child, pinching his eyes closed as he swung, but he was improving slowly.

She stopped him a smile on her face, as three elegant looking male elves entered the training ground their eyes landing on the small pair. They wore smug smiles, there eyes flashing viciously as they spat elven insults at the dam and hobbit.

"Ignore it Bilbo" she whispered watching the hobbit become more and more frustrated as the elves openly laughed at his poor sword skills.

He tossed his sword down and sighed "This is hopeless Riswynn, I'm not a fighter"

"Listen to him dwarf, he clearly can't fight" one of the elves sneered.

She turned her and looked over her shoulder "Mind your business elf" she growled.

"Make me dwarf, what is a filthy creature like you doing in Rivendell anyway" he sneered.

She narrowed her eyes at him, golden eyes flashing red, he was thin and tall with white-blond hair and pale skin, he had deep dark green eyes and wore plain green tunic and brown trousers. His companions looked much the same, only she noticed they wore armor similar in fashion to the scouting party they encountered the day previous.

"Answer him dwarf" the one behind him growled clutching his weapon.

"Maybe we should just leave" Bilbo said quietly.

She looked at the hobbit and slowly shook her head, her eyes engulfed in red "No Bilbo, you may leave if you wish, but I think someone ought to teach these elflings a lesson in manners"

Bilbo took a step back and the dam, squared her shoulders and walked to the middle of the ring, tossing her wooden training sword aside she grabbed her two daggers and wielded them "Aright which one of you beardless she-elves wants a go first huh"

The trio laughed and withdrew long slender blades and rushed toward the dam aiming to slice her to pieces, how dare she challenge them. Riswynn was prepared, she bent low ducking the first blow as the blade sailed over her nose, the first elf locked gazes with her confusion on his face as he stumbled a step or two giving her a moment to lash out, her blade kissed the back of his legs, cutting into his flesh, he growled and spun around as another sword danced in her peripheral vision, it cut into the flesh of her arm and she sucked in a breath rolling out of the way of the third. She looked down at her wound and hissed, her blood leaking down her arm, her eyes flashed violently as she stared at the elves.

"What are you" one whispered in shock. The female dwarf had eyes that blazed like the sun, such a bright red they seemed to glow in the morning light. She bared her teeth at them and lunged, her daggers glistening like a promise of pain, she fought.

Riswynn could feel her rage consume her mind, she held her daggers in tight fists, aiming low on their legs, as the longer elven blades cut into her skin, she was bleeding and panting but she held her own, as best as she could.

"What cursed creature are you, filthy little thing" they taunted, trying to provoke her into making a mistake.

She was fast, and refused to give up, it wasn't simply a training exercise anymore as more and more blows landed, and more blood soaked into the ground. Bilbo watched horrified as Riswynn fought them all, her small statue allowing her to maneuver under their legs, her daggers drawing thin lines of blood. One elf managed to cut her wrist sending her dagger sailing through the air, everyone watched as if in slow motion as it skidded in the dirt coated with a thin layer of blood. She watched it fall, her anger burning to new heights, her hatred seeping into her soul, her eyes like pools of blood, she ducked as a blade came crashing down meant to sever her head. She panted rushing toward the weapons grabbing a heavy war hammer she roared spinning on her heel she swung it with all her might, smashing into the elven scout the hammer hit in the abdomen crushing his plate and he stumbled back with a wheeze.

"Bilbo go" she panted her eyes locking with his, he wanted to refuse but he was afraid, he had never seen her so unhinged before, she looked like death incarnated, she was panting heavily, and bleeding worse but she stood as tall and proud as any Dwarrow could facing down the remaining two elves, watching as they drew their bow and arrows. She knew she would die, elves were the best marksmen in the world and she could only take so many arrows before she bled to death, she wasn't sure how things had escalated so quickly but the hatred burning in their eyes was answer enough, they liked watching her suffer and she was consumed by her rage and wanted to return the pain tenfold.

Bilbo rushed as fast as his short legs could carry him, panting out of breath he skidded to a stop as he spotted Thorin and Gandalf speaking to Lord Elrond and another strange Wizard he had never met before.

"Thorin" he shouted getting everyone's attention, as he gulped down a greedy breath.

"Bilbo whatever is the matter" Gandalf ask curiously

"Riswynn…shes…fighting three elves" he huffed trying to catch his breath "Elves, whatever do you mean?" Gandalf said confused.

"Surely they offered to help her train" Lord Elrond offered with a gentle smile.

"They are killing her" Bilbo shouted when no one paid him any mind, except Thorin who was scowling at Lord Elrond.

"Show me" Thorin growled storming toward the hobbit as the others followed close behind.