Hello everyone! I'd like to thank all of you who have chosen to follow/favourite/review since I last updated.

I apologise for the extremely long delay in updates, I have not abandoned this story and have many chapters almost ready to go, so updates should not take this long again.

Enjoy :D

Chapter 15 – Stories by the Fire

The Shire disappeared behind them with each passing day. Bilbo watched as open fields and hills became dry rocky plains stretching over the land, and a feeling of melancholy entered his heart at leaving the safety of the Shire. He watched as Hermione rotated between a few dwarves whilst travelling. She tended to sit with either Fili or Kili but took turns with Balin, Bofur, Dwalin, and, to everyone's surprise, Bifur. All of whom she had ridden with had become more acquiescent to her presence.

Bilbo was, much to his dismay, rather jealous of the way the dwarves accepted Hermione more so than himself. Even though they still had their trepidations over her being a part of the company, they at least didn't ignore her existence.

The sun was going down and the company needed to find a place to make camp. Thorin had asked for everyone to focus on looking for a suitable location. However, Fili and Kili had continued joking with each other, trying to get Hermione to join in, which was making her rather uncomfortable as she wanted to fly under the radar tonight with the mood their leader appeared to be in today. Hermione was now riding with Fili, shrinking in on herself the more the boys carried on.

"Come on Hermione," Kili called from his horse, "Spill the beans. Which dwarf do you find…" Thorin had suddenly moved himself between his two nephews' horses to put a stop to the nonsense.

"That's enough!" he exclaimed looking between the two boys, "If you can't focus on the task at hand I will remove the distraction from your presence." He looked at Hermione as he said this.

"Tomorrow I will ride with another then, or will I be a distraction there too?" Hermione was absolutely mortified at being called a distraction and she made a point of showing it.

"Your mere presence appears to be a distraction even though you have yet to indulge them in their antics." Thorin stated, not understanding why he was trying to excuse his words, as it was something he rarely did, but he didn't like that he offended her whilst reprimanding his nephews, as it was unnecessary.

"We were just having some fun, Uncle." Fili said. Thorin's eyes showed he did not like it. Fili sat up straight. Although he was still an inch shorter than Hermione making it a little difficult for him to see over her, like his brother, he opted for resting his head on her shoulder instead which at first seemed intimate has now become such a regular occurrence that occasionally Hermione would lean her own head against theirs and rest.

"I'll behave, Uncle. I promise." Fili said seriously. Kili followed after his uncle, probably to save face and behave like Fili had promised he would. Although Fili didn't behave. He was still whispering jokes and babbling on about nothing in Hermione's ear when someone shouted out that they had found an open clearing on the side of a cliff to make camp. The whole time Hermione had to stifle her laughter as to not allow Fili to get into any more trouble. Hermione almost lost it when Fili told her about the time that Fili and Kili, when they were only dwarflings, managed to set Dwalin's beard on fire. Dwalin had been so panicked over trying to put the fire out he tripped over his own feet and fell face first into a puddle of mud. Hermione had to suppress the growing melancholy in her heart as she dismounted Fili's horse, for she began to think of all the tricks that Fred and George played on poor Severus.

Hermione sat with Bifur for supper this evening. Bilbo remembered first time she did everyone was so shocked, as Bifur is quite an intimidating dwarf with an axe in his head and although he understood the common tongue, he was unable to speak it.

…

Everyone watched, interested to see what she was up to. Hermione had ignored everyone's discomfort at her choice of company, she just smiled at Bifur and sat by him. For a long while the company watched on waiting for Bifur to react, but he didn't. He just sat there eating his dinner, not taking his eyes off Hermione. His stare held no ill intent, however it was full of questions, probably wondering why on earth she was sitting with him rather than in the company of Bilbo or Fili and Kili, whom she favoured.

Hermione, feeling slightly guilty for causing this look, set down her dinner, shifting so she was facing Bifur and softly uttered, "One does not need words to find companionship. I find comfort in your silence, it is refreshing to me."

Bifur continued to stare at her still searching for a hidden intention. Hermione, wanting to learn to communicate with Bifur, almost whispered, "But, you do not have to be in silence alone."

She locked eyes with the silent dwarf, trying to figure out his reaction to her bold statement. The rest of the company watched on, shocked at the innocence and gentility of this stranger towards one of their own, but many were also ready to jump in in-case Bifur took her comment negatively.

Hermione was about to look away, embarrassed and saddened that he did not wish to try and 'speak' with her, when she caught sight of the corner of his mouth curling upward slightly with a simple nod of his head. Hermione felt her face gently smiling at this major form of acceptance, as she showed him the little things she had picked up along the way, from observing Bifur's and his cousin's interactions. Bifur was pleased by this, but he still took a little coaxing before eventually he started gesturing back, trying to teach Hermione. It was difficult though, each of them trying to understand the others language. Bifur became frustrated quickly, but Hermione was patient with him and waited while he vented out his frustration over tediousness of this task. Bifur continued to try and teach Hermione a few basic gestures and what they represented until it was time to sleep and Bifur seemed to have warmed to Hermione greatly after that, despite the fact that he was frustrated beyond all measure.

The next morning, Bilbo had overheard Hermione explain to Bofur, Bifur's cousin, about how she had picked up a few of their gestures along the way and thought she would try to talk to Bifur and learn more so she could communicate with him. Hermione didn't mention that she felt for Bifur. He was always reserved, never really involved in the antics of his cousins, but not alone, not like Thorin. Bofur thought she was most kind for doing so, that he and Balin also began teaching her some Iglishmek, dwarven sign language that they use with Bifur.

…

Bilbo once again watched from his place next to Gandalf as Hermione and Bifur 'chatted'. She had picked up on Iglishmek rather quickly. Although her vocabulary was limited she still made a point of 'speaking' with Bifur every day. Bilbo longed to be part of the company. Since he left the Shire, he felt like an outsider. The only time he didn't feel like this was when he was in the company of Gandalf or Hermione.

Everyone was ordered to sleep except Fili and Kili, who were given the first watch of the night. Everyone lay around the small fire for warmth. Fili and Kili propped their backs against the cliff wall so they could observe their surroundings.

The dwarves' snoring was still preventing Bilbo from sleeping. He sighed and watched as little moths flying around Bombur's face were sucked up his nose every time he breathed in. Bilbo walked over to the ponies and gave Myrtle a pat, as their relationship had improved since the beginning of this quest.

A screech echoed through the air, making the ponies and Bilbo tense up immediately. It sounded like a dying bird. It reminded him of the sounds the local birds made when a stray cat got its teeth around a birds neck. Hermione jumped up poised to fight, she swayed a little from her sudden awakening.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked anyone who would answer.

"Orcs. Throat cutters." Fili stated eerily. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lower lands are crawling with them."

"Orcs?" Bilbo said a little too loudly. Thorin and Balin were awake in seconds and poised ready to fight. Thorin and Hermione locked eyes, not breaking away until each calmed down. They lowered their weapons and released their breaths.

"They strike in the dead of night when everyone's asleep, no screams ... just lots and lots of blood." Kili said quietly. Bilbo looked terrified and Hermione had her wand back in the air ready to fight. The brothers began chuckling at the two.

"You think it's funny?" Thorin growled. Hermione lowered her wand and glowered at the boys for having worried her like that. "You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"

Kili sheepishly said, "We didn't mean anything by it."

"No you didn't." Thorin stood and walked passed Bilbo and Hermione. They sat down together on a log near the fire watching him walk away. "You know nothing of the world." He whispered sharply over his shoulder at his nephews.

"Don't mind him, young ones." Balin said, "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs."

Balin looked over at his king who was now standing alone looking into the distance. "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." Bilbo and Hermione were drawn into the story leaning forward on the log they shared.

"Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs, led by the most vile of all their race, Azog the Defiler." Everyone was awake by now, listening to the story of their leader. "The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed; we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us." Hermione looked to Thorin finally understanding the extent of the weight that burdens his shoulders. "That is when I saw him. The 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 Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated... but there was no feast or songs that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived, and I thought to myself then 'There is one I could follow. There is one I could call King'."

Thorin finally turned to see fourteen faces staring at him. Some were looking at him with admiration, others with utmost respect but there was one face just looking at him solemnly. Hermione's expression was the only one that affected him. He had seen the looks of admiration before but he didn't want it. He hated those memories. They were times of darkness. He lost too many that truly mattered to him, to that battle, to Azog. He did what he had to, to survive, to ensure his people survived. And for the first time someone appeared to understand that his actions were not done in the name of glory, to be a hero, no. They were merely instinct, an instinct to fight or die and she knew it.

"What of the Pale Orc. What happened to him?" Bilbo asked Balin, breaking Thorin's trance. He realised that he had been staring at Hermione, but she just smiled sadly at him before looking into the distance herself.

"He slunk back into the halls from whence he came. The filth died from his wounds long ago." Thorin answered for Balin, every word dripping with hatred.

Hermione caught Balin glance over at Gandalf who looked quite sceptical, out of the corner of her eye. Hermione wondered as to the accuracy of Thorin's statement as she watched everyone drift off to sleep. Thorin had taken over watch now, just leaving the two of them awake.

"You should be resting. We have no time for stragglers, it will be another long day tomorrow." Thorin stated bluntly as he threw another log into the fire noticing the slight shimmer in the colour of her hair when the light of the flames touched it.

"I'm not tired anymore… I'll just sleep longer tomorrow." She sighed looking into the flames trying not to lose herself in her dark memories.

"No you won't," Thorin said, drawing her attention from the flames. "You barely ever sleep… Don't let it become habit because slowly it will drain your body of all energy." He whispered knowingly, before turning away from her, looking out into the distance.

"I cannot help it anymore," Hermione began, she watched Thorin's back tense at her voice. He was not use to being spoken back to. "One of my mentors drilled the notion of 'Constant Vigilance' into my mind. Every time I close my eyes in this world, I just keep seeing him standing there shouting at me about being aware at all times. So now when I do sleep it's in short intervals, and I never allow myself to enter deep sleep without taking the proper precautions…"

"I agree with your mentor about constant vigilance, but why is it you hear his words with us in this world every time you try to sleep?" Thorin mentally slapped himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"I don't know… I guess it's because, back home, I was with the two people I trusted most in my world and the fact that we would put a number of protection charms around our camp at night to ward off the enemy." Hermione shifted slightly in her uncomfortable position on the log, "we also took shifts keeping watch, much like you do, so I guess when you combine all of this together I felt safe enough to let my defences down."

They sat in a comfortable silence after that. Thorin watching Hermione as he considered her words. He understood why she was on guard all the time, better than most, but he felt a little offend at that idea of her not feeling safe under his men's watch.

"Why do you not feel safe enough with us to sleep, Lady Granger?" He questioned her now, wanting to know why.

"I guess it's just my training preventing me from relaxing. For here in this world, I haven't cast protective charms around the camp, I am unfamiliar with the dangers of this world, and how can you expect me to trust your men when there is none in return?" Now looking into her eyes, Thorin wondered as to why she had to be trained in such things, being so young and a woman. Wanting to ease her tension over her safety, he said, "The dangers in this world are many, but for the path we are taking you must watch out for two creatures in particular… Orcs & Goblins," Hermione sat a little straighter, giving Thorin her full attention. Although she heard Balin's recount of the orcs fighting at Moria, she really didn't know how to identify them.

"Orcs are a humanoid beings. They are filthy creatures who despise all races, even other dark races, but they are inferior, for they believe they need a leader." Thorin paused to find that he had Hermione's full attention. He could see her trying to imagine what these creatures looked like so he continued. "When their leader falls that is when they are at their weakest because they don't know what to do without instruction and orders. Appearance wise they have dark sallow-skin with wide mouths holding fang-like teeth & deformed features. They are known to be cannibalistic, ruthless, and horrific. Many say it is better to die than to live the torture of an orc."

"And what of Goblins, what are their nature, how can I identify them?" Thorin was impressed by the formal solider-like tone to her voice when she asked this.

"Goblins are short, ailing, mutations covered in warts and unidentified growths due to the lack of exposure to the sun as they are a race that dwells in the mountains and rarely come out. They have pasty sallow skin, and bat-like facial features. Many goblins are small runts that would be hard pressed reaching the height of Mr Baggins' shoulder." Thorin leaned back indicating that he had finished. Hermione sat for a little while. Her brows furrowed as she processed his descriptions. Hermione knew that the goblins in this world would be very different from those back home. She processed the evolution between the two just from the little she had just learned.

"Thank you Master Oakenshield," she said, looking over to him appreciatively. "Being aware of what to look for as dangerous has made me feel a little more relax."

"Why do you call me Master Oakenshield while you call the others by their first names?" He questioned, as it had been on his mind for quite a few days.

"Why do you call me Lady Granger when the others all use my first name, with or without a title in front, but they always call me Hermione?" She looked at him waiting for an answer. Realising that he wasn't going to say anything, Hermione decided that she would have another attempt at sleeping but still only briefly for she wasn't comfortable enough in this world yet without her protective charms. She lay down next to the log she had been sitting on rather than hopping over a camp full of Dwarves to get to her bedroll.

"Goodnight Lady Granger." Rumbled Thorin's deep voice, still not using her first name after their conversation. He heard her chuckle slightly and she rolled over to face him.

"Goodnight, Master Oakenshield."