If anyone has played Diablo III, I have based Iris's hand bows off of the Demon Hunter Class weapons. It's something I could see Elves using. An explanation as to why she has them wilal come up in a later chapter.

Iris's hair is based off of Indigo from the Supergirl TV series.

Chapter Nine

It had been a very long night, with very little sleep, but she'd gotten just about everything completed that she could at that time. There were a few things that she needed to do during the day, including talking directly to her nephew, who'd she'd been training. He was only 32, however, since she did not have children of her own, she'd made him her heir. Drogo was a good lad, and he'd already found his heart, though they wouldn't be wed until they were both of age. She looked forward to someday having them move into Bag End, starting their own Great Smial, as until recently, the Baggins Clan had preferred to live separate from each other, yet the results from the Fell Winter had started to change their minds about it. Of course Hobbits were slow to change and preferred to keep things the way they'd always been.

She already had several things ready and placed on the table for breakfast, with a few pots of coffee warming on the hearth for her company. She hoped that Gandalf had properly informed Oakenshield that she would not be able to move out today, but would be more than ready to leave tomorrow in the morning.

Leaving a note on the table, beside the signed contract, she left before even having first breakfast, wanting to get things done as quickly as possible.

Several hours later, and after having second breakfast with her cousin, she finally made it back to her Smail. As long as nothing went wrong, she planned on having a small lunch, then taking a short nap before making dinner. She hoped that her company were enjoying their time, but she was also a bit surprised by how quiet everything seemed. She would have expected a bit more noise with thirteen dwarves in her home, not to mention the meddling wizard.

Opening the door, she stepped in and was confused by the fact that there were no boots in the sun room. At least everything look spotless.

Wiping down her feet, she then wandered into the kitchen, only to see her contract still sitting there and a different note beside it. Quickly picking it up, already cursing to herself, she started to read.

Dear Mistress Baggins,

I regret to inform you that the king did not wish to wait an extra day so that you would be able to finish getting prepared for this quest. He has stated that you were given ample notice and although he has been corrected of this notion, he does not feel to believe as such.

We will do as we can to delay our departure, and to slow down the caravan until we exit the Shire, though I recommend catching up as quickly as you can Mistress.

Dwalin has taken your bags, and if you have not caught up, will leave it on the boarder. We are heading directly towards Bree by the roads. I'm sure you know a quicker off road route.

Sincerely,

Balin, son of Fundin

That egotistical bastard, when she got her hands on the idiot, he was going to find out what it meant to piss off a Hobbit. There was a reason the men cowed to the women.

S
torming off towards her room she quickly changed out of her daily wear and into her hunting gear. Then she went to the back cellar where she kept her weapons, hooking her hand crossbows to her specially made belt and the quiver, already full with arrows over her shoulder. Then placed her daggers into there place. Finally, she took a few minutes to put her hair up in her braids; something her mother had always insisted on, though she didn't always wear; several small braids close to her skull on the left side of her head, with the right side, the hair going down into a braid that rested above her right ear, with them all combining into one large one in the back.

Once she was ready, she marched out her front door, quickly locked it and put the keys in the mailbox by the front gate. She had an idiot to catch up to and teach a lesson.

Next chapter: Joining the company.