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Brine sat down exhausted after a long training session. It had been a week from the first time that she took a sword. She could see some progress with it and with her relation with Fili. She could stand some rounds before falling exhausted on her knees.

"Good job, Pip." Fili patted her back and sat down next to her. "You have made me sweat." He laughed and took out his shirt. Brine could not help but notice his bright torso and abs. She quickly took out her eyes, feeling as her cheeks turned red. Lately, she was starting to understand what was happening to her. Although it was only a thought, it was begging to grow. Brine stood up. "Where are you going?" Fili asked as he fired his pipe. Brine did not turn to him. She was trying to control her breathing.

"It is late and tomorrow we have a long way." She tried to sound as normal as she could but she failed. Fili agreed not sure and let her go back to sleep.


The next morning, Brine woke up before everyone else. She walked to a nearby river and bathed herself as quick as she could. She was risking so much by doing it, but she felt the need to wash. The water caressed her body. It was cold, but she did not really care. Just as she was getting dressed again, she heard some voices coming from the camp. Brine ran back to the camp, thinking that they were about to leave when she saw a figure on a horse that was trying to talk with someone.

"Good morning, young lady." Gandalf greeted her. She took out the scarf that was hiding her face. Brine stopped. She would recognize that raven hair anytime. Zirb. What was she doing there?

"Good morning, Sir." She turned to hop off the horse when she found a hand that took the rides and another offered to her. Zirb met Thorin's blue eyes. She stopped there with doubt in her eyes. Brine saw as Thorin moved his hand gesturing her to come and handled with the horse. She got there just at the same time that Zirb landed on the ground. Thorin took her by the waist so she could regain her balance easily. Brine observed them. Zirb was only an inch taller than him, as he was a tall dwarf. Their eyes were locked with the others. His were a mix of emotions that travelled from distrust to admiration. Zirb's were curious.

"Is everything okay?" Balin's voice interrupted them. They moved away from each other, although Thorin's eyes did not change.

"Actually not," Zirb answered. Brine looked at her from behind her horse. "I'm wondering if you have seen a young dwarf theses last days. She is a young dwarf with red hair and a green dress. She has big blue eyes and pale skin." Zirb kept describing Brine. She moved her fake beard hiding her face a bit more.

"I'm sorry but we haven't seen anyone from the beginning of our adventure." Balin apologized. Zirb seemed frustrated. She was murmuring something and turned to her horse, ready to keep her search. Thorin got her first. Brine did not know for sure, but she thought that Thorin wanted to know Zirb a bit more.

"Why don't you rest a bit." His hands were at his back, holding at each other. His blue eyes memorizing every inch of Zirb's face.

"I'm sure you would feel better after a good breakfast," Bofur said. He was holding a pot with water. Zirb looked at him and then at Thorin before accepting the invitation.


Brine sat on a rock a bit far from the rest of the dwarf. Her eyes were fixed on Zirb. She was thinking about telling her plan to her, but she was not sure about Zirb's reaction. She got back to reality when she noticed someone sitting next to her. Brine met Bilbo. She had observed that he did not fit yet in the company, but he seemed more comfortable with her. Bilbo was curious about Zirb, but he did not want to be noisy.

"Who is the new one?" Someone asked. Fili and Kili joined them and Bilbo greeted them. Brine did not say anything. Sometimes Zirb met her eyes until she looked away. "She looks nice," Kili said and hit Fili playfully. He choked up and nodded.

"Aren't dwarfs girls like her?" Bilbo asked. The three dwarfs looked at him.

"Obviously not," Fili said surprised. "They are smaller and more beautiful than her, with beautiful beards that match perfectly with their dresses." Brine looked at him offended. She did not consider dwarfs girls prettier than Zirb. Indeed she was very beautiful with her long raven hair and her dark eyes. But at the same time, she felt glad when she heard about Fili's opinion. "Isn't that right guys?" Kili nodded. Brine did the same but at the same time, she felt pity for her. To Fili, she would never be a beautiful dwarf.

"So Fili, do you have any beautiful dwarf like that waiting for you?" Bilbo asked. Brine opened her eyes surprised and waited for the answer. Kili laughed and told him that Fili was not that kind of man. "What does it mean?"

"It means that not. I've met some girls but now is not the right moment. I don't know how long I can be in this adventure, nor if I would die or not. How can I ask some young dwarf to wait for me?" He almost muttered that last part to himself. Brine felt her heart melting at his words. It was the most beautiful thing that she had heard. She was about to comfort him when Balin walked to them with Zirb and Thorin at his side.

"Pip, lady Zirb wants to ask you a few questions." He said politely. Brine did not know why she wanted to talk with her. "We've been thinking that, since you are from the Blue Mountains, maybe you know something about a certain dwarf." Brine stood up and nodded without saying a word as she walked with Zirb in silence. They arrived at a nice plain where they could talk.

"What's the matter, my lady?" She asked without looking at her. The answer left her frozen.

"Are you serious, Brine?" Zirb turned her so they were facing each other. "What were you thinking? Everyone is looking for you! And what the heck is this?" She asked as she took Brine's fake beard. Brine took it again quickly and put it again. "Why are they calling you Pip?!"

"Okay, Zirb! Could you stop for a minute?" Brine asked and after making sure that she was not going to interrupt, she told Zirb everything about her plan. After some minutes she shut up, waiting for her reaction.

"Are you serious? How do you think you could help them? You are not a warrior, nor a wizard." Zirb was calmer now. Brine tried to answer all her questions, but they did not convince her. "Brine, stop this nonsense." Zirb tried to change her mind but it was useless. Brine was determined to keep on with her plan. Even if she was not useful as the other dwarfs or Gandalf, she was sure she could help Thorin anyway.


Zirb and Brine joined the company after almost an hour. Zirb gave up with the idea of getting Brine back to the Blue Mountains. But she was determined to not let her alone in this new adventure. After a brief talk with Thorin and Gandalf, they arranged to let Zirb join them for a few days just to see if she could find her little friend. Brine sighted and ride her pony. They had lost much time today and she knew that the road was long that day.

It was night when they arrived at their next stop. It was a bunch of ruins that used to be an old farm. Brine was not in a good mood that night. She had to bare Kili and Fili trying to flirt and impress Zirb and that was getting her nuts. She was glad when Thorin ordered them to watch out the poneys that night. Brine walked to the fire and started doing the dinner. Zirb followed her after been talking with Thorin a long time. She could see something between those two.

"Can I help you?" Brine did not answer her. She felt betrayed for her. They had talked back in the Blue Mountains about dwarfs boys and Zirb's answer was always the same. She thought that they were rude and with bad moods always. "What's wrong, Brine?" Zirb seemed worried.

"Stop calling me that!" Brine looked around worried if someone was listening. "I'm Pip, remember? And if you want to help me, go call Fili and Kili. Dinner is ready." She said and Zirb did as she told her. Some second later, she appeared escorted by the two brothers. As before, they were trying to impress her. Brine could not stand it anymore and walked out saying that she was not hungry.

She was trying to control her breathing so she could relax. Why did it hurt her so much? Maybe that thought was growing, turning into a feeling that she was scared to put a name on it. Brine started biting her lip until blood tasted in her mouth.

"Brine? What's wrong with you now?" Zirb appeared right back her.

"What a surprise, where are your two bodyguards?" Zirb could note the bitterness in her tone. She knew then that Brine was angry, but she was not sure the reason.

"Are you jealous?" Zirb smiled and poked Brine. She stopped when she saw the hurt expression of Brine. "Brine?" Zirb thought about the two brothers. They were not Brine's type, or at least that was what Zirb thought.

"It's nothing, okay?" Brine hide her face. She did not want to talk about her feelings. Not yet.

"Brine, you've been in this bad mood all day." Zirb thought about her next question. "Is it because of Kili?" Zirb observed her. Maybe they already were her type. Kili had seemed to be the youngest of the company and the one that flirted more. She saw as Brine did not change anything. "Or it is because of Fili?" Zirb saw as her back tense. Her mouth opened. "Brine, what's wrong with him?" She would never imagine the answer.

"I think that you are hindering the mission." Brine avoided meeting her eyes. She needed to separate Zirb from Fili. "You are captivating much attention, Zirb. You are not safe here. You'll be better back home."

"Brine, what's wrong with you? I'm not doing anything." Zirb tried to defend herself from Brine's words. "Why do you care so much about me being with Fili and Kili?" She was almost laughing because of the nonsense.

"I like him, okay?" Brine chest was about to explode. She did not want to talk about it but it was messing in her head since the first night of the adventure.