"The portents say that it is time we return to the mountain" said who I guessed was Gloin.

"Ravens have been seen flocking to the mountain. It's a sign that the beast's reign is at its end," said the grey-haired dwarf next to him. Possibly Oin

Bilbo grew uneasy and began pacing by the table. "A beast?"

"Aye," said Bofur? "A great big fire breathing dragon, melt the flesh of you're bones it will."

Thanks for that visual Bofur. It was definitely not helping Bilbo warm to the idea of helping them out. What followed was an argument about the logistics of fighting said dragon and how many dragons Gandalf had slain in the past. It was hard to keep up with the conversation as everyone started to speak over each other. Thorin once again came to the rescue with his commanding authority. When he stood up everyone else quieted down.

"Do you not think that others would have read these signs too? There will be others who wish to lay claim to what is rightfully ours. We cannot let them take it. We must seize this chance and retake our homeland."

Thorin sat back down as everyone seemed to absorb his message. A white haired dwarf on Thorin's side didn't seem as convinced.

"However the front gate is still closed. There is no way in or out of that mountain" said Balin?

It was Gandalf's turn to come and save the day as he produced the key to the hidden door. It was large and ornately crafted in the typical dwarven style. A lot more impressive to view in real life than through a screen.

Thorin recognised the key easily and he asked Gandalf where he got it from. When he told him that his father gave it to him a quick moment of vulnerability flashed across his face before he schooled his expression once more. He took the key from Gandalf's hand.

"If we have a key, where is the door?" asked Fili

"There are runes on this map that speak of a hidden door. But dwarven doors are often invisible when they are closed. I believe that the answer to finding this door lies somewhere on this map but I cannot read it," said Gandalf, pointing towards the map.

"Why don't we ask the one who apparently knows the future then?" said Dwalin, his voice still very sceptical.

Everyone turned to look at me once more, all with expectant expressions. Shit. I can't remember the wording. It would have been beneficial to brush up on the finer points of The Hobbit before I arrived but I didn't exactly have much forewarning about it. I knew the important parts, like giant spiders and a huge battle but the small details escaped me completely. Hopefully they would return if I was in desperate need.

"Uh I can't really remember what it says," I heard Dwalin scoff, it made my cheeks heat up. "There was something about a thrush and the light of Durin's day," I said in a smaller voice.

"Durin's day? We have a deadline then it seems" said Balin, ruminating on my words.

Gandalf moved on to talk about the task he had in mind for the reluctant hobbit. Bilbo was not impressed about being asked to steal anything. He was a respectful hobbit after all. The other dwarves were starting to think the same. I knew better though and so did Gandalf, who grew angry and scolded the dwarves for their lack of faith.

"So be it, we'll do it your way," said Thorin. Then he turned to Balin, "Give him the contract. One will have to be written up for Miss Leah also."

I get my own contract! Why did that make me strangely giddy?

Bilbo however was not smiling. The more he read, the more concerned he grew. Bofur did not help matters when he spoke of all the twisted things a dragon could do. Poor Bilbo couldn't handle it and promptly fainted. I just about made it in time so that he didn't bang his head on the floor.

"Nice one, Bofur," I said

Bofur looked simultaneously surprised at my knowing his name and chastised. "Sorry 'bout that."

Gandalf helped me move Bilbo into the other room. He was heavier than he looked for someone so small. Once we got the unconscious Bilbo settled everyone else cleared out of the room. I followed suit wanting to give him some air. He'd come around to the idea of the company at some point he just needed a bit of time.

As I exited Bilbo's living room I bumped into Kili. He caught me by my arms before I could run him over and a small laugh escaped him. He looked around a little bit at all the other dwarves milling around. "Let's go outside for a minute."

"Okay," I nodded. I also wanted to be able to talk to him without all these eyes following. us.

Kili led the way and took us outside. I followed him into the garden and down a curved path towards a wooden bench. Kili sat down heavily and brought me along with him. None of us spoke at first, merely looking out at the view. More stars than I'd ever seen coated the sky like a blanket. The rolling hills were mostly in shadow but a few lamps of light popped up on the horizon.

I turned towards Kili. Just seeing him again made my heart beat faster, fluttering like a butterfly beneath my ribcage. He was here. Solid and real and not going anywhere. I buried my face in his shoulder, and the soft scent of his hair tickled my nose. Kili's arm wrapped around my back and I felt him rest a cheek on my head.

"I can't believe you're here," he was choking up. "I thought I would never see you again."

His grip tightened around me as he spoke as if he was scared to let me go. But I wasn't going anywhere either. I leaned back so that I could see his face. He was a little misty-eyed. If he carried on like this, he was gonna make me cry too.

"Don't cry," I said, bringing my hand up to cup his face. "I'm here now."

A short laugh fell from his lips and he leaned into my hand "I'm not crying," he shook his head as if the notion was ridiculous. "I never cry."

I laughed and he returned a smile in kind. "Can you tell me the whole story now?"

And so I did. I told him about Mum's breakdown and how she was certain we were supposed to be here. About how we crashed into this world together yet were somehow torn apart. Then about waking up as an elf. He was, unsurprisingly, very intrigued by that part.

Kili looked at my ears with open fascination. The animosity I had feared never manifested and instead, he seemed to accept the strange development. He reached up and traced a finger down the point of my ear.

It tingled down my spine in a pleasant pulse and my breath left me in a gasp at the sensation. Warmth flooded my face when I realised what I did.

"Sorry," I said breathlessly "They're quite sensitive now."

Kili's eyes heated up at my actions, but I elected to ignore it lest I get even more flustered. Why does this dwarf have to affect me so badly?

I quickly changed the topic and told him about the rest of my time here.

Angry was an understatement when I told him about Roderik and his goons. My voice betrayed me when I relayed the story–breaking when I was trying to remain strong–and Kili could not stand the fear he heard in it. He was halfway to raising them from the dead just so that he could kill them all over again before I managed to calm him somewhat.

Kili wrapped his arm around me securely as if making sure I was still there, whole and healthy. My hand rested on his chest, I could feel the steady pound of his heart beneath it–as well as something else. My hand brushed up against something cold and metal. I dropped it so that I could get a good look. A giggle rose up at what I saw.

"Is that a zipper?" I asked.

Kili's face lit up. "It is in fact. A tailor saw the one on my jacket and was amazed by the design. You will be happy to know it is now a dwarven fashion trend."

"No way, that's amazing."

Do I count as an influencer now? A trendsetter?

"I knew you'd find it funny," he said, a hand coming up to hold my face.

A pointed cough alerted us to a new arrival. Kili's eyes widened and he dropped his hand quickly. "Fili, I did not see you there."

"Uncle would like a word with you, Kili," he said "Don't worry I can keep Leah company."

Kili looked unsure for a second. Whether it was because Thorin wanted to speak with him or because he was leaving me I wasn't sure.

"Okay," he said and made his way inside. I heard him say something to his brother as he walked past. I'm pretty sure it was 'Behave'.

"Always brother dearest," Fili said with a smirk.

When Kili's retreating form had left our eyeline Fili started towards the bench. "Move over a bit. I'm not that small," he joked.

I shuffled over to the other side of the bench to let him in. He sat down with a long sigh, a very big grin stretched across his face. Nerves pinged through me at erratic intervals. I was desperate to make a good first impression. Fili was Kili's older brother, who he looked up to and loved fiercely.

"He cares about you a lot, you know," he said.

My heartbeat picked up at that. "I care about him a lot too."

"Good," his bravado then seemed to slip somewhat.

He sighed deeply before looking down at his hands. "I never thought I would get to meet you, so I apologise for my shoddy excuse for a thank you."

"A thank you?"

"You saved him. If it wasn't for you or your world, then my little brother would be dead right now. At the bottom of a cliff or mauled by a warg," his voice caught as he spoke "I saw him fall and I thought that I'd failed as an older brother."

Fili's eyes were a picture of despair as he was dragged back into the memory of losing Kili. It was something that still cut him even though time had dulled it and his brother returned. A look I hoped he would never make again.

I knew that he didn't really know me but I wanted to comfort him all the same; grabbing one of his hands, I squeezed it between my own. "You didn't fail. It wasn't your fault that a warg showed up."

"I should have been faster," he was looking out, not really seeing the horizon.

"Then you might have been killed too," I said "Look, Kili is alive. You didn't fail at anything."

Fili gave me a small smile. Then he sniffed and shook his head "Sorry I didn't mean to get emotional there. I'm 'cooler' than that. Did I use that word right?"

"You did," I said, smiling brightly.

A more genuine smile spread across his face then "You have no idea what it felt like when I saw him again. Perfectly healthy, with no injuries at all. Wearing the strangest clothes I've ever seen," We both chuckled at that.

"Hey, I helped him choose that shirt," I joked back with a nudge.

"I'm sure you did," he said with a smile.

"It wasn't only me that helped him." Fili raised an eyebrow "My Mum helped the most. If it wasn't for her, I'd probably have more than just this to show from that warg."

I lifted my sleeve up to reveal the scars from the warg attack. They had faded slightly since I became an elf but they were still quite visible.

"A lady with battle scars," Fili lifted his brows. "I like it."

"Thanks," I said, giving his shoulder a shove.

We stayed out there for a little bit longer before deciding to join the rest back inside. Kili was a little red in the face when we showed up. What had Thorin been talking to him about? He smiled at us and tried to look less flustered. Fili smirked and patted his brother on the back.

At a glance through to the sitting room, I saw that Bilbo was back in the world of the living. I excused myself for a minute and went over to talk. He was halfway into a conversation with Gandalf when I sidled in next to him.

"Will I come back?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.

"We cannot be certain and you will be a changed hobbit if you do," Gandalf replied

Bilbo looked down again "Then I think you need a different hobbit," he said in a small voice.

They both turned around to look at me as they saw me. I gave them a small wave and a 'hello' in greeting.

"Hello, my dear," said Gandalf in a very grandfatherly voice. He glanced between Bilbo and me "Perhaps you could help convince him" he said, then he glided out of the room.

There was a little footstool in front of Bilbo's squashy chair so I plonked myself down on it.

"So you're the future teller then?" Bilbo said.

"I guess you could say that."

He looked down at his cup of tea. "You knew about me. In your stories, I was in them?"

"You were."

He looked back up at me "And it wasn't just at the beginning with me refusing to go was it?"

I shook my head and gave him an encouraging smile.

"How can that be?" he sighed "I don't have any of the right skills for something like this. I can't fight and I'm definitely not a burglar," he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"You'll learn, I promise. If you stop being so hard on yourself, you'll realise that you can do a lot more than you think. "

"Well forgive me if I don't quite believe that."

It was sad seeing Bilbo with such low confidence. He was going to do great things; he just needed to believe in himself more.

"I wasn't an elf until a few weeks ago. A lot can change in a short time," I joked, trying to lighten the mood "And you won't be the only outsider. Not only am I an elf among dwarves, I'm also from a different world."

Bilbo chuckled "I guess so. Though you do already have some friends."

"Yes, and if you stick near me, I will make sure they're your friends too," I chuckled back. "Also, forgive the dwarves for raiding your pantry. In their defence, they thought you had already agreed to come. They were simply cleaning out the cupboards so the food wouldn't go bad when you left."

Bilbo had a thoughtful look on his face "That actually makes more sense now."

I made to stand up, and Bilbo followed my action. "Just have a think on it tonight, okay?" Then I paused before continuing "Pack a bag, even if you decide you don't want to go. It'll just make things easier if you do… And pack a handkerchief" I added with a smile.

"A handkerchief, that's a good idea."

We were quickly jolted from our musings by a harmonious humming. A collection of voices that rose and fell in chorus. I heard dwarves singing a few times when I stayed in Rildolach and it always gave me chills. Their deep voices had a richness I had never really heard before. It was, in a word, beautiful. And something I did not want Bilbo to miss out on. So I grabbed him by the shoulder and led him towards the singing. After a tut or two at being manhandled, he reluctantly let me and we both found ourselves on the edge of the sitting room.

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height

The winds were moaning in the night

The fire was red, its flaming spread

The trees like torches blazed with light

All the dwarves were unified as they looked to their leader. You could tell how much they believed in him.

All the dwarves dispersed, splitting off into groups to find somewhere to sleep. Bilbo only had three bedrooms. One of which was his, another had been taken by Gandalf and a fight had ensued about the remaining one. I decided to avoid all that and find a chair somewhere to curl up in. Kili followed along behind me, his brother Fili in tow.

We found a little book nook towards the back of the hobbit hole. It contained many overflowing bookshelves, a writing desk and squashy love seat. Singular. Which meant an argument broke out amongst the boys about who should take the chair. They kept saying that I should take it but I told them I would be fine on the floor.

"Trust me, I'm helping you," said Fili, a hand over his heart. "Kili is a cuddler if you slept next to him there would be no escape."

Kili told Fili to shut up and punched him in the arm. My cheeks heated up a touch as I recalled just how true Fili's statement was. It had taken all my dexterity to extricate myself from Kili that time I had fallen asleep on him.

"Believe me I know," I whispered under my breath.

Fili's eyebrows shot up. Okay, I hadn't meant for anyone to hear that. Fili however looked as if Christmas had come early. He turned towards Kili with a mock shocked face.

"Scandalous."

Kili punched him in the arm again.

"Fine, I'll take the chair," I surrendered. "If it will shut you up."