"Where are you going now?"

"To get Ori's sword back."

"I will come with." she turned back to see Fili walk over to her. He gave her a look that signaled that there wouldn't be any arguments about this, she waited for him and when he approached she walked forward to find the missing sword.

Together they searched in an awkward silence, Fili was trying to think of something to say and Toma was concentrating on finding the sword. He followed her closely, noticing the change of clothes. They were more modest than what she had been wearing but not so much in the way of color and pattern.

The silence was too much for him, he wanted to talk to her, get to know her but something inside him told him that she didn't want anything to do with him. Fili wasn't sure if it was just some insecurity in the back of his mind or actual logic.

"Fili! Found the sword!" Toma said. He hadn't noticed while he was absorbed in his thoughts that she had wandered so far from him.

"Good."

He was a bit disappointed at how quick she had found the sword- and unknown to him, she felt the same way- there would only be a small amount of alone time with her after this. Fili would take whatever time he could.

"Fili?"

"Yes?" he asked, waiting for her to catch up to him. He watched her stumble over rocks and twigs.

"Do you think that you could teach me to fight? Dwalin scares me too much."

He held out a hand for her to grab. She smiled thankfully and stepped off the large rock she was currently standing on. Fili bit his lip and thought. Pros: a reason to be close and alone with her. Cons: he would have to teach.

"I guess I could."

"Really?" Toma asked. He could see the corners of her mouth form into a small smile.

"Really."

She helped Bombur pack up the cooking supplies. He was very much so an organized packer she had soon discovered much in contrast to his messy eating habits. Bombur told her specifics of how he wanted one bag packed and it seemed to be like Tetris on steroids to Toma.

"Hurry," she heard Thorin say. "We are to look for their cave. It mustn't be far from here."

She sighed, knowing that this would happen. Not looking for a cave but doing something insane after trolls. With a final yank, she tied the bag on one of the saddle of one of the ponies.

Toma squinted at the pony she would have to lead. This would be simple, just grab the reins and think of it like walking a dog, except bigger and not as trained to voice commands. Never mind, she was fucked.

"Пожалуйста, перейдите легко на меня," she whispered as she stroked the pony's snout. The pony neighed and whipped her head back some. "Или нет."

Noticing that the others were far ahead of her, she started to panic a bit. There was no way she'd be able to catch up with them. She started moving towards the group but was yanked back by the pony. Toma stumbled back.

The pony stared at her with large eyes while Toma glared at the creature. They stared at each other for a time but was interrupted by Fili who had drawn the short straw and had to help Toma. He stood back with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Toma in amusement.

"Do you want some help there?"

"This pony is the stubbornest animal I've ever seen."

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked.

Toma glanced at Fili and then back to the pony. She tightened her grip on the reins of the pony.

"Yes." she gritted her teeth, not liking that she needed help.

Fili took the reins and tugged at the pony softly. Before moving, the creature neighed loudly and scooted backwards in the process. Dirt flew around the hooves and Toma watched in amazement as the pony walked next to Fili with ease. She stood still, taking in the sight of the pony that had refused to move for her, trot effortlessly.

"Wha- how did you do that?" she said as she jogged to catch up to him.

"You can't be forceful with the ponies."

"I wasn't forcing her!"

"If tugging at and speaking harshly to her in foreign tongues isn't forceful, then I don't know what is."

"You're a jerk."

Fili rolled his eyes and assumed that whatever the work jerk meant wasn't nice. He walked in silence, the pony on his right and Toma to his left. He stopped himself from looking at her and replaced her in his thoughts with what would happen when they reached Erebor.

He had known of his lineage, had been trained to be a proper prince, a proper ruler, but it felt strange to be going from working in the forge to possibly ruling a kingdom if this task would be a success. It frightened him of the possibility but he knew he was ready.

Toma, on the other hand, had no such restraint. She glanced down at him and she cursed herself for it. She still missed her, still thought of her, but she knew that it was fruitless to think of the woman who had stolen her heart and crushed it in a second.

With the thoughts that intruded her mind, she turned away from the blond dwarf and could spot the company stopped and waiting for the two of them.

"We found the cave, without your help." Thorin said, sounding quite bitter.

"Sorry uncle."

Toma kept her head ducked as she saw most file into the dark pit that was the cave. Kili stood by her waiting for her to move.

"Aren't you going down? You might find something you like."

"I don't know. It looks like it will collapse."

Kili looked at the structure for a quick second and shook his head, a smile playing at his lips, "Nah, it looks like it'll hold."

"Somehow, I don't believe you."

Together they made their way down the slope of the entrance. He went down with ease while Toma stumbled in the darkness over spare objects. If there was one thing she noticed the instant she was inside, was the smell that engulfed her. Spoiled milk and rotting cabbage were not a good mix.

She held a hand against her nose, feeling even dirtier than when she was outside.

Kili left her to look at arrows and she continued looking and saw a sword leaning up against the wall of the cave. It had a black handle, the length of the actual blade was about the span of her arm. She lifted it up too take a better look and was surprised by the weight. The sword was much lighter and easier to lift than Ori's.

She contemplated taking it. On one hand, it was free for the taking but it had also been someone's. Toma glanced around, wondering whether the dwarves would find her to be a vulture for taking it.

"No one is going to miss it. You should just take it." Fili said from behind her, she looked over at him and back down at the sword.

"You're right, it is easier to lift, and I think Ori will be wanting his back. I guess I will."

She watched him walk away in the dim light of the torch's that had been lit by the dwarves and breathed out before sheathing the sword.

Toma, realizing that most of them had begun to clear out, followed the path to the mouth of the cave. The fresh air that swept over her was a relief. She could hear the friendly chatter between the dwarves over what they had found and their brand new toys, shiny and ready to be put into action.

As she began to sit down though, she noticed that the birds had stopped singing in their perches far above them and had been replaced with the sound of leaves crunching and the sound of Thorin's voice yelling out to them.

"Something's coming!"

The company began to run in almost the exact direction that the sound was coming from which vexed her. If the point was to run away from something, why go toward it?

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" a man yelled.

He was extremely disheveled, his plain, brown clothes wrinkled and stain, his hair in tangles and-wait, something was off about his hair.

"Is that bird shit?" she asked.

It seemed that no one was quite focused on that as they continued to stare at him and let her comment go unnoticed which didn't bother her. It was far from the first time anything she said had been ignored.

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked.

Her brows furrowed at the introducing of the short man but really, she shouldn't have expected anything less considering the names she had already encountered. The group disbanded, they stayed close to each other while Gandalf and the newcomer went off to the side.

She leaned against a boulder, something she seemed to be doing often, and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. The colors and patterns that appeared when she had her eyes closed were there dancing around in her vision. The bright colors reminded her of her mother. She had worn pretty dresses of extravagant color and patterns as soon as they had moved to America and away from the town of Livny.

Fili watched her clench her jaw and her finger wrap tightly around the handle of the sword for a reason unknown to him. He turned back to the conversation at hand with Dwalin.

"You didn't exactly make a good first impression."

"Neither did she."

"Yes," he agreed, "But she didn't scare you."

"Aye, but your point being?"

"My point being," he started, "She's frightened of you and doesn't trust you."

Dwalin couldn't argue with that logic, which he blamed entirely on Dís for giving her eldest child her intelligence. "You can train her."

It would be less of a hassle for him anyway.

Fili spared a glance at Toma. She looked more relaxed than she had been, her face no longer contorted to look as though she was in pain or angry.

In her hands, she held Ori's sword. Now that she had the new sword, it was time to give the quieter dwarf she barely knew.

"Thank you, Ori, for letting me borrow this, I really appreciate it. Here."

"It's nothing worth mentioning." he said shrugging and reaching for the weapon which she gladly held out for him.

"I think it is. Again, thank you."

Dori grabbed his brother back to him, he was still wary of her, believing Gandalf had been right about her being not right in the head.

A sound resembling a howling wolf rang out across the clearing they stood in. Toma looked to Gandalf then to Bilbo. She inched closer to Bilbo, unsure as to why when she could have stood next to more experienced warriors. Although Bilbo wasn't a warrior or soldier, she just felt safer next to him, possibly it being his homely look.

Fili gave her a strange glance, questioning her and she just shrugged and made a face back to him in response.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked. Frightened of the answer to come, judging by the look on Bofur's face, she paled slightly and felt her stomach drop like she was about to go down the first drop on a rollercoaster.

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf."

A snarl came from close by, and against her better judgement, she turned to see what sounded like a wolf, looked nothing like one. It bared its teeth and jumped at the company. Thorin killed it using his newfound weapon. Then another one appeared on a rock to the right of her, an arrow whizzed by her and hit the creature, coming from the lone archer in their midst. But it came back up trying to attack again. Dwalin took the initiative and swung the hammer at it, crushing its skull. Toma stood frozen, having never felt this afraid in her life. She saw a flash of silver and felt like something was tugging hard against her neck. Swaying in her spot she heard someone shout and arguing occur but couldn't process what was being said. Her head felt fuzzy but she powered through, trying to put up a brave front to whatever it was that was happening to her.

Next thing she knew, her hand was being held, led through the forest, and was running.

AN: Thank you for reading! Sorry this chapter took so long, school is a pain right now.

Translations:

Пожалуйста, перейдите легко на меня- Please, go easy on me

Или нет- Or not.