Author's Note: Thank you to all the lovely people who faved and added this to the alert list! Much thanks! Aiyna's temper comes to the fore a lot in this chapter! To be honest, mine would too! Anywho, on to the chapter!

Title: The Lost Lady ~ An Unexpected Journey

Author: Princess Kanako

Pairing(s): Thorin/OC, possible Kili/OC and Fili/OC if I get around to it...those two are so cute!

Date Submitted: 24/6/13

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit or any of its affiliates; they belong to J.R.R. Tolkien

Claimer: I do own Aiyna, a few plot ideas, and any other characters that pop up along the way.

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Drama (story of maturation – psychological/mental/physical development – of principal character)

Summary: He turned his head to look down at her, his expression, for one moment, open and unguarded – he looked uncertain. And she couldn't stand that look on him, so she smiled and said, "You may have lost your inheritance, Master Oakenshield... but you haven't lost any of your pride." For just one tiny second out of time, she saw the ghost of a smile curl one side of his mouth – and then his expression smoothed out. "I suppose, in that, Miss Baggins, you are correct. I do have a great deal of pride."


"I should have known," Aiyna moaned, cradling her head in her hands as the Wizard stood over her. "Do you have any idea what Master Bilbo is going to say when he finds out about this?"

"Well, that will not take very long, my dear," Gandalf said, far too cheerfully for Aiyna's liking as the entire group of dwarves began raiding the pantry, chattering and arguing with each other at the top of their voices. The round one with the red braided beard, Bombur, waddled out of the pantry with three wheels of cheese.

"Excuse me. A tad excessive, isn't it?" Aiyna asked as she stared at Bomur beadily, "Have you got a cheese knife, at least?"

The dwarf shrugged and continued on his way, as Gandalf let out a booming laugh.

"Cheese knife?" he repeated, "My dear, he eats it by the block."

"Oh Valar," Aiyna groaned, as two dwarves tramped through the hall carrying chairs. Their companions were darting between the pantry, the kitchen and the dining room. A grey-haired dwarf approached Gandalf with a tray and some tea.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf, can I tempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea?" he asked politely.

"Oh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine for me, I think," Gandalf answered, his eyes trained on the girl before him. Her head snapped up, clear grey eyes focusing on Dori.

"I'll have it," she mumbled, taking the cup from the tray that the dwarf offered, "I can feel one of my legendary headaches coming on."

"Oh dear," he replied, brow furrowing. "I'll get some honey for you, lass. Best thing for a headache, I find."

"Yes, thank you," she muttered, sipping at the tea as one hand rubbed at her left temple irritably.

"Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin," Gandalf mumbled, counting on his fingers, "Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori...Ori."

Dori came back with the little jar of honey, just as a dwarf with a chunk of axe firmly embedded into his forehead approached Gandalf, talking to him rapidly in a strange tongue and gesturing with his arms.

"Yes, you're quite right, Bifur. We appear to be one dwarf short."

"He is late, is all," Dwalin called as he carried a barrel of ale into the kitchen, "He travelled North to a meeting of our kin. He will come."

"Here you go, lass," Dori fussed, tipping a good dollop of it into Aiyna's teacup, "It'll soon be gone."

"Thank you, Master...?"

"Dori, at your service Mrs. Baggins," he said, bobbing his head slightly. Aiyna blinked.

"Oh no, I'm not Mrs. Baggins at all!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide, "Master Bilbo just takes care of me!"

"Oh, I beg your pardon, lass," Dori apologised, "We all thought...well, never mind."

Aiyna growled and sipped her tea. It really did seem to be helping her headache.

"Mr. Gandalf?"

"Hmmm?" Gandalf replied distractedly.

"A little glass of red wine, as requested. It's, eh, got a fruity bouquet," Dori replied, holding up a tiny glass. Aiyna choked back a giggle. No, not a glass, she corrected herself, an egg cup. Oh dear.

"Ah, Cheers." Gandalf said with a smile before downing the egg cup of wine Dori offered him, pouting slightly at the cup, when there was no more.


The dwarves, sitting in Bilbo's dining room, were having a grand feast with all Bilbo's food, with even more in the kitchen, awaiting consumption. Dwalin had tried ordering Aiyna to fetch some of it, but she had studiously ignored him, focusing instead on her sewing, stabbing the needle through Master Bilbo's shirt with a little more force than was necessary.

"Bombur, catch!" Bofur yelled, tossing a boiled egg at him.

Bombur caught the food in his mouth, and everyone cheered, even as half of it fell out and became entangled in his beard. Everyone began throwing food around, making Ainya's upper lip curl in disgust. Fili walked on top of the table, carrying several cups of ale and knocked aside the food in his way with his filthy boots.

"Who wants an ale?" he yelled, grinning at Aiyna's thunderous expression, "There you go, Nori."

"Let him have another drink!" Dwalin roared.

"Here you go!" Fili bellowed, handing a tankard to Dwalin.

Dwalin poured the ale into Oin's hearing trumpet, and as Oin spluttered in anger, everyone else laughed. Oin put his hearing trumpet to his mouth and blows the ale out of it, making it squeak and splutter horribly. One of the dwarves (Kili, Aiyna thought grimly), yelled, "On the count of three!" The dwarves pounded their tankards together excitedly.

Fili counted out, "One!...Two!"

The entire room fell silent as they began slurping their tankard of ale. They were incredibly messy, ale washed all over their faces and trickled down their beards. When they finished drinking, they begin a burping competition. The youngest, Ori, let out the biggest burp, that shook the chandelier. The dwarves laughed, thumping a pleased Ori on the back. Aiyna looked away in disgust.


"Excuse me, but that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" Ainya said pointedly, as Nori attempted to wipe the table with one.

"But it's full of holes!" Bofur exclaimed, glancing up from his ale.

"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet!"

"Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you got the balls for it."

"Oh, someone save me from these dwarves!" she groaned. "I'd even settle for Mungo Underhill at this rate!"

"My dear Aiyna, what on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked concernedly.

"What's the matter?" she repeated slowly through gritted teeth. "I'm surrounded by dwarves. What are they doing here?"

"Oh, they're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them," he replied, blue eyes watching amusedly as Nori and Bofur began a tug-of-war with a string of sausages.

"I don't want to get used to them!" Aiyna growled, her hair tumbling wildly about her shoulders, "The state of the kitchen! There's mud in the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom; they've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in this house!"

"Excuse me." Aiyna glanced to her left, where the youngest dwarf stood, a plate in his hand. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me," Fili said cheerfully as he snatched the plate from Ori and threw it to Kili, who tossed it behind his back to Bifur, who stood serenely at the sink in the kitchen. Bifur caught it deftly behind his back, without even bothering to look. Kili, Fili, and a couple of other dwarves began throwing the plates, bowls, and utensils to each other, eventually throwing them to the sink to be washed. As crockery flew through the air, Gandalf ducked to avoid getting hit as he casually lit his pipe. The remaining dwarves sitting at the table began drumming on the wood, setting a rhythm as they banged with knives, forks and their fists.

"Can you not do that?" Aiyna snapped, "You're doing my head in - and you'll blunt them!"

"Ooh, d'hear that, lads?" Bofur mocked, "She says we'll blunt the knives."

The others laughed, and Kili began to sing. The other dwarves joined him, as the crockery continued to fly through the air.

"Blunt the knives, bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates
That's what Mrs Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll
That's what Mrs Baggins hates!"

"By the Valar, my name is Aiyna! And I'm not Master Bilbo's wife! Bloody dwarves!" she shrieked, huffing in anger as she stomped towards the kitchen, only to find all the dishes stacked neatly and cleanly. The dwarves and Gandalf laughed merrily. Suddenly, three loud knocks boomed on the door, and everyone fell silent. Slowly, Gandalf spoke, his voice solemn and almost eerie.

"He is here."


To be continued. Please review!