Adventuring really was just the most awful thing I had ever done in my entire life.

I still didn't understand why I rushed out so happy and hopeful. Did I really always think it would be brightly shining stars and green grass even when one had to contend with spring weather?

Oh, the day started out well enough, the company raising early for breakfast and getting a move on soon after. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and Myrtle and I went back to bonding. I rolled in my saddle on the advice of Bofur, feeling just as burly and clumsy as ever but my back was thankful for the advice.

The braiding of my pony's mane was interrupted by Gandalf engaging me in conversation, eager to know what I thought of our adventure so far. It was a simple ploy of his just to pull out a tale or two from me so that I attracted the nearby ears of the dwarves; I was grateful for the help too. I found it hard to strike up a conversation on my own with the dwarves now that I was in the company. More than once, I wondered what the cause of it was.

When I was their host, they seemed to have no troubles ordering me around and such...

Not that I was wishing for orders but at least when they ordered me around, they spoke to me!

Still, all of that was the first half of the day and the second half was signified by the pit pattering of spring rain that had been hovering all morning. I was surprised by it at first but then exasperated because after a quick search through my bag, I realized that I hadn't the foresight to think that rain would be a common feature on this journey. I had forgotten a travel cloak that could shield me a little from the rain.

Now I was to be at the mercy of the weather without even a heavier coat to fend off the cold that would chill my bones. The rain was growing heavier as the minutes trickled by, fat and cold on my face and in my hair; I couldn't suppress the grimace at the nasty feeling that crept up my back from the stickiness of my clothing. That strange in-between phase of the rain was always hardest for me. Either be dry or wet, I muttered to Myrtle, the in-between was the worst.

I resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to be miserable, mumbling under my breath of my desire for my warm bed and a warm kettle of tea.

My pony shifted and slowed a little but I was too distracted and miserable to really guess why she did so. Too quick to be defended against, I was smacked full on with something warm and heavy. I dropped the reins of my pony in shock and panicked, my hands digging into the fabric and pulling it away from my face. I looked around trying to figure out what happened, seeing a few of the nearby dwarves chuckle and laugh at what they at least saw happen.

I looked down in my arms where the bundle of fabric was and I was surprised by the dark green sight of Dwalin's travel cloak. Dwalin himself was in front of me, looking as if he hadn't thrown anything but once he felt my gaze on him, he turned around to eye me unhappily. He grunted in reply to whatever my gaze tried to pry from him but when I did nothing with the cloak, he growled. My cheek tickled but I shied away from his intimidating appearance. Dwalin adjusted in his saddle and pointed his finger at me before motioning to his neck in a quick strike.

The color drained from my face.

Was he trying to kill me?! Was that his signal? Did someone miss that when my body was covered in his cloak that they were supposed to kill me?

The look on my face must have shown him my exact thoughts because Dwalin was sputtering and grumbling low, a prickling feeling coming across my cheek the longer he did it. After attracting the nearby attention of some others, including the questioning gaze of Thorin, Dwalin looked away and turned to me fully. He motioned again to his neck, moving his fingers in a manner as if he had the cloak again.

"Put that on, laddie. Females and young'ins mix well enough on their own without the rain helpin'."

"Oi!"

I blushed at just the implication of what Dwalin was suggesting and looked down at my clothing that was beginning to get soaked through. Now the older dwarves did laugh though Kili did his best to defend their youthful honor. I wasted no time wrapping the cloak around my neck and pulling up the hood.

Instantly the relief from the rain came and I shivered under the still warm cloak as I retook my reins in hand and pulled the cloak tighter against my body.

"- besides, Miss Boggins knows that we would never do such a thing!"

Whatever Kili and Dwalin had been talking about, their focus was now entirely on me. When I actually managed to look up, Kili shot me a look that pleaded to agree with them. Not knowing anything that had transpired, I looked around at the various dwarves paying their attentions to me, looking all the more like a trapped mouse.

"Aye, aye," Dwalin concluded, his voice giving every indication that he would not involve himself on a serious debate on the moral code of the two dwarven brothers. "Now away wit' ye."

Kili seemed to think that was some form of a victory, shooting me a bright grin and a thumbs up, waiting for me to smile back at him. Once I did though, I almost regretted it. It seemed to be the signal he needed and he pulled back on the reins of his pony so that she slowed to a pace alongside mine. At the same time, I noticed that Fili kicked up the pace of his, flanking my left side.

I was trapped between the two brothers.

I truly was a mouse now.

"Oh! No need to look so skittish, Miss Boggins!"

Kili chirped and I flushed at the cupping beneath my skirts, "Baggins, Master Kili. My last name is Baggins..."

"OH!" A pinch, "A common mistake, I'm sure!"

"Never pictured Mister Dwalin as having a soft spot for the wee lasses."

Fili mused from my other side, his voice distracting me and making me squirm a little in my seat. His blue eyes lazily caught mine before a grin spread on his own face. "I can definitely see why though."

I flushed and gripped the reins tighter, looking to my front and hoping that the brothers would understand that I would not involve myself in such a conversation. Nor any conversation that directed their voices at me!

The brothers were silent on both my sides but I could feel their gazes on me, staring and trying to figure out if they offended or if their attention was just unwanted. It wasn't that their attention was unwanted. This truly was the largest group conversation that I had since starting this journey but if Fili and Kili spoke, I knew what their voices would do to me. I couldn't let them see such a thing if I was to come away at all with my dignity intact!

"Miss Baggins," Kili's voice curled along my butt, soothing and pressing. I looked at him, desperately trying to will away the heat on my cheeks, "I hope we did not offend you last night?"

Kili's eyes was so sincere in their attempt to apologize to me but his voice was just entirely too devilish. I gripped the reins of my pony tighter and attempted to look as if I were trying to get comfortable in my saddle but Kili's voice could hardly be deterred. It curled and grabbed before vanishing altogether. It left me breathless, stoking the flames of desire that I tried to wrestle down.

"Yes, we truly were only talking in jest."

No, not lower! Fili's voice was spurned on by his brother's, picking up exactly where his left off, a sensation not unlike fingers tracing along the meatier flesh of my bum. Their short sentences so to the point only teased me, poking at a dam that was already starting to leak from the night Thorin caught me in his room.

"Exactly! We didn't mean anything by it!"

I felt my brows knit in frustration, my jaw clench at Kili's voice gripping me now, kneading and digging deeply before it too left me. I breathed deeply, agonized over the thought that their voices weren't enough to give me the pleasure that I sought.

I nodded to them to show that I was listening but my eyes weren't truly seeing them; my eyes lingered over plump lips, golden hair, dark eyes, rough stubble. I licked my lips at the thought of what kissing those lush lips would feel like, rubbing soft skin against rough stubble...

"So do you forgive us?"

Fili's voice cupped and spread flesh, a groan coming unbidden from my lips as I leaned a little forward in my saddle, wanting both to hide my distress from the brothers but also give in. I wanted desperately for Fili and Kili to tell me a story in the way that they would, one voice switching to the other. I didn't want such short sentences that left me aching and wanting for more.

My groan must have been mistaken for a growl because Kili's voice was concerned again, backing off until it was only a soft rub, "Is there something we can do to make amends?" It was aggravatingly torturous the touch of his voice so hesitant now; my toes curled in need, my knuckles white with restrained want.

"Ask of us anything and we shall try to do so."

Oh, I would ask that instead of a tale, you tell me an epic about something that would take a very long time to express fully. I would have you tell me jokes so that you'd laugh and I would have you growl low in frustration. I wanted all the differing tones that your voices could give me. I wanted Fili's tone to go lower than it was and I wanted Kili's to again brave itself against my flesh entirely...

I chanced a look at Kili, noting that he looked concerned now more than before and was about to reach over to see if I were alright. I quickly snapped out of my thoughts, sitting up straight and fumbling again in my saddle to try and lessen the arousal that burned low in my belly in an ache that I could not easily will away.

"No! It's quite alright!"

"Well! That is a relief then!"

Kili's bright smile seemed so happy and I responded back with a weak smile of my own, glancing over at Fili whose eyes stared at me with some unreadable emotion hidden behind the baby blues. His eyes raked over my face, staring too deeply at the flush on my cheeks and trailing lower before he remembered himself and locked eyes with me again.

"See, brother, I knew there was hardly a thing to worry about!"

Kili announced with that same giddiness in his voice from before, his smile entirely too bright considering the state of the weather that now surrounded us.

"Quite so, boys!" I confirmed, clearing my throat with a grin. I needed to get my head back on straight and Fili's thoughtful gaze off of me, "I am hardly as sensitive as everyone believes around here." A golden eyebrow raised in my direction, "Perhaps you should listen to your brother more often, Fili?"

As soon as I said this, Fili laughed into the chilled air; I almost flinched with how loud it was and immediately noticed how everyone turned back in their saddles to see what had made the young blonde dwarf laugh so uncontrollably. At the same time, Kili blushed a shade of red -quite a becoming color on him, if I must say so myself – and dug around briefly in his bag before he threw what looked to be a biscuit at his older brother.

Fili just laughed harder at the attack but as he laughed, I noticed that in the way he held himself, the way his voice rolled over me, it gave no impression of mocking. The laughter was not in teasing or anything as such either. He was just amused.

When he calmed down slightly, wiping his eyes and chuckling even as he tried to catch his breath, I noticed that his eyes were bright with glee and a smile on his cheeks.

"Aye, Miss Hobbit, It seems there is much I can learn when watching my brother speak."