Alright, chapter 3!

Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue

True to her word Arriah had not slept at all. So when morning came she was already awake and alert. Bifur had helped her with her pony this time. Only giving slight grunts and gently nudging her to and fro.

Now she rode silently along a dwarf that she was unfamiliar with. He smelled of pine, and fresh rain. Mixed in was the scent of sword oil and leather. She found it very pleasing. What she did not find pleasing was the scent that the wind was bringing to her. And it was getting stronger and stronger.

Arriah shook her head. I should say something. Many have died in the marshes that block our path. Our ponies will get stuck, so will we. We will either drown, starve to death, or be slowly eaten by the crows as we are baked by the sun. Heh, how fortunate for me. Save myself from all the awkwardness going around today.

Arriah sighed. "We shouldn't continue this way."

She had the dwarf's attention. She could feel his gaze. She bet his eyes were blue. Blue or green.

"We should veer South. If we continue this way then we'll all end up stuck in the fly infested Midgewater Marshes. Many travelers die there."

She was unsure if the dwarf had heard her until the reins of his pony snapped and the pony cantered towards the front of the company. She was riding alone again. She closed her eyes and listened to the forest, trying her best to block out the marshes scent.

"Lady Arriah?"

She turned her head to the right and gave a small smile. "Bofur?"

"Aye."

Silence.

"The lad, Fili, looked like he was in a hurry, anything wrong?"

Arriah blinked. Fili, so that's his name.

"I just suggested we changed course, he left some time ago, so I'm not sure if Thorin's going to listen or not."

Bofur let out an 'ah' in acknowledgement.

"Stop!"

Arriah looked forward.

"We change course. Woman, you will lead us around the marshes."

The huntress 'tsk'ed' and grumbled. "A please would be nice. And I have a name you know."

She urged her pony forward until she stopped her beside Gandalf's horse.

"Well? Lead on."

Arriah huffed and urged Briar forward, grumbling 'as you wish' as she passed the dark haired dwarf. She veered her pony to the left and kept her at a moderate pace, though she wished that she could just race away from the marshes' horrible scent.

She led the company around the marshes quickly. Taking easy trails, and avoiding any large openings that would be slightly marshy. Arriah continued to lead till they reached the Weathertop, then Thorin took the lead again, only giving Arriah a grumble, which Arriah assumed was some sort of thank you.

They stopped later that day, as the sun was beginning to set, and made camp on a rocky ledge. A fire was lit and everyone slowly situated themselves around it. Soup was passed around, and again she found the calloused hands of Bombur gently giving her a bowl of stew.

Fili and Kili were set up to take the first watch. They were brothers, she had learned. Thorin's nephews, actually. Kili the younger, and Fili his elder. Kili smelt strongly of wood and leather, more so than his brother. And that was it. Just wood and leather. Not unusual, considering she'd once met a man who smelled only of mushrooms. That had not been pleasant.

She ate her stew slowly, savoring the spice's that she was sure would run out eventually. When she had finished the bowl was once again gently taken from her and she sat back against the rock, shifting to get comfortable.

A shrill cry broke through the silence of the company and suddenly everyone who was awake was alert. Orcs.

"W-what was that?"

"Orc's." Kili, she thought, had replied.

"Throat-cutters. They'll be dozens out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili this time. She narrowed her eyes.

"They attack in the wee small hours of the night. Quick and quiet, no screams, just lot's of blood."

Arriah rolled her eyes as the dwarf prince's chuckled at what she assumed to be Bilbo's reaction.

"You think that's funny?"

Oh, his royal stick-up-his-ass highness come to the little hobbit's rescue, eh?

"You think a night raid by orc's is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it."

Arriah snorted, hoping that the two had the decency to at least look guilty.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world."

Harsh. Necessary, but harsh.

"Don't mind him laddie-"

Ah, the ever wise Balin has come to ease the pain. What should I expect, some epic and tragic back story? Time for a history lesson.

"-Thorin has more cause than most, to hate orc's."

Ugh, hate it when I'm right.

"After the dragon took the lonely mountain, king Thror, tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orc's. Led by the most vile of all their race. Azog, The Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin."

Dramatic pause for effect.

"He began...by be-heading the king. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner of killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when, I saw him."

Arriah assumed that he had glanced over at Thorin.

"A young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog The Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orc's back. Our enemy had been defeated."

Arriah lowered her head. She knew what came next.

"But there was no feast, nor song that night. For our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived."

Hate orc's...

"And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call king."

There was a shuffle of feet and she assumed it was the sleeping part of the company moving to stand. There was a long silence.

"The Pale Orc?"

"He slunk back to the hole once he came. That filth, died of his wounds long ago."

Arriah blinked. Uhh, no he didn't.

She looked over to where she thought Gandalf was sitting and the slight tap of his fingers against rock told her that he was thinking the same as her.

Arriah sighed and slumped back against the rock. "You're quite the story teller, Master Balin. The whole company woke just to hear your tale."

The old dwarf gave a chuckle. "Indeed."

Arriah gave a soft smile and closed her eyes, listening to the fire snap and pop. She didn't dream that night.

Okay, chapter 3! R&R!