Author Notes:

So we're off from Rivendell! From here, we'll get some action and just general... stuff, I suppose?

ALSO!

NSFW Fanart for the fic has popped up! It's awesome and amazing and I basically screeched like a damned raptor when I saw how amazing it was. XD

Once again, it's totally NSFW!

maggiebeeart.(tumblr).com(slash)post/48504259948/b a sed-in- whats-it-like-universe
maggiebeeart.(tumblr).com(slash)post/48399230934/b a sed-in- whats-it-like-universe
maggiebeeart.(tumblr).com(slash)post/48312957992/b a sed-in- whats-it-like-universe-t horin-and

Just remove the parentheses from around Tumblr and replace the slash with an /. Also, for some reason there's spaces in the based-in-whats-it-like-universe part.

For easy viewing, you can also just go to her Tumblr page... it'll be on pg. 5!

The following morning, the company woke with great care and hush. Well, as much as great hush and care as a company of dwarves could manage.

I was roused rather noisily by Fili, who leaned close and whispered to me to get dressed even as he did so himself. Despite having known the night before that we would be leaving the following day, even I was confused about what we were doing since the sun wasn't even in the sky yet. I was slow to wake, turning back over in bed and wanting to tell him to leave me be but he just insisted to get up and get dressed. Kili was already finished packing their things and quickly stuffing my belongings back into my humble backpack.

Taking a moment to look at their urgency, I realized that this was very real and that we would be leaving very soon. I rolled off the bed in a great huff of fabric and linen and dressed quickly. I snickered at the thought of us, the three of us seemingly like we were about to escape from Rivendell after having committed a crime. We all worked fast in the near darkness, my hands buttoning shirts, righting skirts, and belting my sword before I joined the brothers near the doorway. Already they were readying their packs and on Kili's silent gesture, I offered him my back so he could help me with mine. It was heavier than I remembered but before I was given a chance to ask, we were leaving.

We were joined in the hallway by the others, some of them still filing in until we all stood at the ready, waiting for Thorin to come and make his appearance.

We did not have to wait long for only minutes later, Thorin was out in the hallway, waiting for the rest of us to gather before his eyes assessed each of us and nodded.

"We are to go on ahead through the mountains," Thorin's voice crawled over my neck gently, the touch making me shudder lightly. I heard a faint murmur from the group around me, their voices echoing against my skin but Thorin continued as if he heard nothing, "We shall do so without Gandalf for now. Be quiet as we leave... we cannot alert the others."

I followed the group as we made our way out of our hallway and thought I understood why we were leaving Gandalf behind and why we would even sneaking out of Rivendell in the first place. My mind raced with the events of the night previous when we looked upon the map of Erebor and saw the moon runes. Thorin and Balin looked more than flustered over the newest piece of information about having to be at the Lonely Mountain's secret door by Durin's day but just to leave in such a way? I eyed everyone's packs, all of them looking to be more fully stocked than when we arrived...

So we snuck away because they were all pantry thieves?

Still, as we crossed back under the archway leading out to the cliff side ledges, I couldn't help but feel how wrong it was to continue without Gandalf, though the wizard himself knew he would not be joining us. It felt strange to not be with him on our journey anymore and his presence was comforting to more than just myself. I knew that in a way his presence assured even Thorin, believing that wizards could very nearly do everything.

To leave behind the safety of Rivendell was another matter for me entirely. My love for the city in general from my time there and my love from books made me turn back to look upon the city with a longing in my eyes. Things just seemed so much more simpler there even though the place instigated hardly anything simple. It fostered my relationship with the Durin's and brought me closer to other Skin-Listeners. I would miss Rivendell greatly.

"Be on your guard, we're about to step over the edge of the wild!"

Thorin's voice gripped my arm defensively and urged me back but I wanted my one last look of the elegantly built city so that I could dedicate it to memory.

"Miss Baggins, I suggest you keep up."

His voice nearly made me step back and I rolled my eyes at his forceful tone, completely unnecessary given that dwarves were still making their way past me on the rocky ledges.

No longer having the luxury of ponies, our journey was to be taken by foot through the entirety of the Misty Mountains. The way through such mountain paths were known to be treacherous, given both to deceptions and infested with all manner of evil thing. I spoke with Balin as we climbed along ledges, peeking at what looked to be a hastily drawn map by Gandalf; I learned of the many paths leading from Rivendell that led to no where at all or to caves that would trap. The evil that lurked in the mountains were normally goblins but the map showed that a cave could lead to something a little more dreadful than that at times.

Our journey was slow without the ponies through the cliffs as well, dwarves not really being known for their grace and needing to take it slower with the addition of their heavy packs to sling around. The windy quiet of the mountains surrounding the hidden valley rustled heavily in my hair and the silence of the area made everyone quiet.

Even when we finally stopped for a light breakfast, the group was quiet though Fili and Kili sat close to me and I accepted slices of Fili's apple that he cut up and offered in turn to both his brother and I. It was nice to see them both in a right mood rather unlike the gloomy company, joking when Kili made choking noises in my direction around his apple.

My quiet chuckles made some of the group turn their heads in interest and I was separated from the brothers a moment later by a harsh glare and reprimand given by Thorin. I waved to them as they were called off to scout the way ahead.

After breakfast, we continued onward through the cliffs.

I reminded myself that the journey would be long and harsh from here on out, taking us up and up further into the high mountains where snow capped the peaks regardless of the sweltering summer that was going on below us. However, that would be in the days to come. For now, we would need to travel many miles just to leave the valley.

Despite the silence of the mountains, eventually the dwarves lifted out of their somber moods as the hours dragged on.

During a late lunch, I sat next to Nori, Dori, and Ori and what was originally going to be a conversation between the youngest and I about the different knitting patterns for gloves, turned out to be another lesson between Nori and I about sleight of hand tricks.

"See, now, I'm going to make it disappear."

My nose tickled as I listened to him, though I shook my head just the same at his bold claim, "No way! You can't. There's nowhere to put it."

"Just watch, alright?"

We were huddled together near the center of the group, the brothers nearby behind me eating while Dwalin and Thorin watched over the group and the surrounding area like overprotective parents. I faced Nori, my attention fully on him for good reason considering that I was sure I was being had. I grinned at him, eagerly wanting to see the newest trick he performed for me with astonishment while Dori peered at us and shook his head as if not to tell me to encourage his brother.

Nori held his palm closed around one of his spare hair clasps, his other hand gently using one of Ori's many writing quills as a "magic wand" to magic away the hair clasp.

"I'm going to count to three, I promise it'll disappear. I swear!"

I giggled in delight, waiting, my nose tickling. I watched as he tapped his fist with the quill one, two, and three- OH! The quill was gone!

I tried to keep from giggling too much and closing my eyes, hearing how Nori laughed at his own trick too. He looked surprised to find the quill tucked safely behind his ear. "OH! I didn't mean that! Silly me!"

The brothers nudged closer to either side of me as I watched Nori continue his trick, "Now! No funny business, I swear. I'll make it disappear this time!"

Again, he used the quill to tap his fist held round the clasp. One, two, three times and – No way! I gasped in surprise when Nori opened his hand and the hair clasp was gone. Entirely gone and disappeared from sight! "How did you?!"

I reached for his hand and pulled it this way and that and he allowed me to inspect his sleeves to see if he didn't have it stashed there. Finally when I could not find the hair clasp, I leaned back on my knees and clapped, "That was amazing!"

"Oh, Miss Baggins, I wish you wouldn't encourage him."

Dori was exasperated by the entire thing, a slight shake of his head though Ori himself eyed the trick with interest and a smile of his own.

"I thought it was rather brilliant."

My hands tickled with the feeling of fur against the skin and I watched as Nori held up his hand again, tapping again three times before he opened it up and there was the hair clasp as if it had never left. This time even the brothers clapped at the trick and I was just as amazed as ever.

When lunch was over and we were back to walking along the rocky ledges, Nori once again showed me the trick and asked if I wanted to learn it. I eagerly nodded and stayed close to him, utterly blown away by the fact that once I discovered the trick to it, it was hardly at all very proper and why Dori didn't want it to be encouraged in the slightest. Still, it made for something to do along the way and I watched him as he instructed, whispering so that no one else but me would know how it was done.

I practiced the motions of it a few times, stopping a few times when Nori's voice made me unable to concentrate, before I finally got the hang of it. It was all about misdirection, which as I learned from Balin in the days before was my specialty.

"Burglars have to be very good at misdirection, Miss Bilbo!"

I nodded and went about the motions of the trick, a look of serious concentration coming to my face as I tried counting and palmed the hair clasp in my fist tightly. "Relax!"

So used to hearing Thorin tell me the exact same thing, I felt my cheeks flush from the memories of the times when he told me to relax; my limbs loosened even as I felt Nori jostle me to try and do it for me. Sharing an easy laugh, I went back to the performing of the trick and tried again to get the movements of it down.

We had been walking for hours by the time I finally managed to successfully pull off the act, the trick having long distracted me into not even realizing how the time was passing. I looked around to see the brothers whispering to each other, a nod every so often and Thorin seemed to glower at Dwalin who walked next to him, a shared conversation between them as well.

I looked back down at my hands and did the trick again, trying to will myself to become comfortable with it even as I did it again and again. Repetition, repetition was what Balin always said of lessons, as the voices of the brothers reminded me. I did it one last time before even Nori deemed me sufficient with a quick nod and a pat on the back.

"Do you think I can show Fili and Kili?"

I was eager to show them what I learned, even though they had already seen it done by a master of the sleight of hand himself, but with a smirk of approval and a thumbs up for luck, I sprang off towards the brothers and side stepped around Bifur before I planted myself on Kili's right side.

"I learned the trick!"

Kili's eyes glanced at the hair clasp and quill in my hands, a whistle coming from his lips a moment later, "Oh? Will we need to worry about our possessions mysteriously disappearing in the future?"

His voice pinched at me playfully and I elbowed him gently. With both Fili and Kili looking at me, their attention divided between the rocky terrain and my show, I got ready to show them. My hands did the flourish that Nori showed me but just as I was going to go into the first words of the trick, Thorin interrupted, "Fili, Kili, go help Balin up front. Your eyes are the best amongst us, after all."

The brothers straightened to the command and nodded their assent before looking down at me; Kili shrugged his shoulders helplessly and ruffled my hair, darting up ahead while Fili looked at me with a sad smile on his handsome face and followed after his brother. My good mood deflated instantly, watching them go until I looked at Thorin, whose eyes stared at me. I quickly went to his side, stepping into line with him and held up my hands, "Can I show you the trick that Nori taught me?"

I had hoped it would cheer him up but Thorin was being extra grumpy it seemed and his eyes hardened on me, a frown coming to his face so quickly that even I frowned at him in response. "Miss Baggins, you'd do well to remember your place out here." My eyes widened in shock. Instantly I wanted to know if I misunderstood his meaning but his tone was hard, his voice an unyielding pressure against my shoulder blades that pressed uncomfortably. "It's dangerous and hardly a place for such tricks either. Best to keep your guard up."

I was waved off then, a look of surprised astonishment on my face for how Thorin so easily dismissed me.

I tried to shake off his newfound cold attitude towards me, thinking that it was just him being a protective leader or not wanting to give me any special treatment given our new standing with one another since Rivendell. I did the best I could to try and perk back up but his words did not sit well with me and I unconsciously slowed my steps until I disappeared back into the group.

I was quiet as I walked along, my feet not really registering the rocky terrain as I climbed up the ledges and twisted back down. It wasn't until Bofur caught my eye with a quick smile that I finally perked up again and rushed to his side and held out the two objects, "Can I show you something that Nori taught me?

I watched his eyes give a quick glance in Thorin's direction before he smiled down at me in a way that was rather too apologetic for one about to view a trick, "Sorry, lass, don't really think now's a good time. Maybe later?"

While his words were dangerously close to making my feet tickle, I still felt a pit open up in my stomach such was the pure disappointment I felt when I realized that Bofur didn't want to see my trick. In a way, I wondered if I were being unreasonable to want to show off for only five minutes but with the way that Bofur immediately took off from my side, I instead thought that it wasn't even about my trick.

I felt like a pariah all of a sudden. Bofur had reacted to Thorin's disapproval.

I looked down at the silly little objects and sighed; I went back to Nori's side and offered them back, ignoring the look of confusion and worry in his eyes. "Did they not like it?"

I itched my nose from Nori's concerned voice even as I brushed off his question, trying to show him that it didn't matter anyway...

For the rest of the day, the group walked along the cliff sides until finally we stopped for the night sometime as the sun finally set. Having found a wider outcrop in the mountain side, we all set down our things for the night, happy and glad to finally get off our feet. I was happy to be able to sleep the night away or at least get a good dinner in me but Thorin informed the company in quick orders that we would not be able to get a fire going due to the dangers around and to keep it quiet for the duration of the night.

I sat down to eat a cold bit of dinner -bread with some cheese- and realized that due to the silence of the mountains around us, anytime someone spoke too loud, their voices would echo off the rocky cliffs. It was truly a strange feeling to feel so exposed under the night sky and the chill of the mountains. Self consciously, I tried to tuck away the sensation of feeling unsafe while away from Rivendell but only really managed it when Fili and Kili came to lay down their bedrolls next to me.

The company went to sleep shortly after dinner with little else to do and because it had been the first day in nearly two weeks of long travelling time. I remembered listening to their soft winded complaints of how they were hardly used to it anymore given their lazy two weeks in the company of elves. I did not have anything to complain about myself lying between the two brothers, happy to feel their warmth seeping into my body but none of us were really tired enough for bed and took to whispering of things that held little importance.

"Fili, Kili, Miss Baggins, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I suggest you rest."

I grumbled underneath my breath and rolled over to my side, wanting to put my back to Thorin's voice from where he no doubt took first watch. I couldn't stand how grumpy he was being but upon Kili's chuckle, I felt like I was a bit out of line about the entire thing. Was I missing something about Thorin's attitude? I didn't feel I was.

"Come closer."

Fili whispered in my ear, nudging me closer until I figured out to move into his chest where the steady rise and fall of his chest made light sensations against the skin of my rear. "Ignore him; talk to me for a bit longer."

I looked up at Fili as best I could, even as I registered the feel of Kili pressing closer to my back to close the gap between us. "I wanted to see your trick today. Show us tomorrow?"

I smiled at how Fili seemed to understand exactly where my day went so wrong and I snuggled close before I started to talk with Fili until Kili's lightly snores prompted us to find some sleep for ourselves.