A/N: This chapter is a slower one, but I've got no hurry. I want to take my time and show how Fai bonds with the company itself and not just with Fili and Kili. I think that would enrich the story. Sorry for the possible grammar mistakes, and thank you for all those reviews and favorites. I still can't believe someone takes time to read something I write, let alone liking it!

FrankieFusciaxx: Thank you for your kind review, and I corrected that mistake. :) I'm going by the movie for now, but that doesn't mean I plan to do everything like it happened there. I'm also planning on using the book on further chapters. :)

Lisse Mirelien: I guess this chapter would satisfy your curiosity a bit. ;)

travellergirl: It is, actually, really easy to forget about the danger and instead only write about birds and butterflies, when you have control over a story and can lead your beloved characters to anywhere. Oh I'd die to write a long long chapter where Kili and Fai runs around hand in hand, having picnics and swimming in rivers. hahahaha however, I'm doing my best to keep it real and show you how hard it is to be in Middle-Earth with urban-girl qualities.

Shippments4ever0725 & God Of Cake: THANK YOU SO MUCH YOUR REVIEWS MAKE ME WANNA JUMP ON MY BED.

Disclaimer: I only own Fai, my little poor girl.


"Ah come on, listen to me, I'm telling you, he is going to come." Fai insisted, whispering discreetly. She was riding in between Oin and Bombur and trying to make them raise their bets. The dwarves took wagers on Bilbo. She didn't place any bets though, taking gold from a dwarf on her first day didn't seem like a good idea. So she chose to make some win instead.

She was feeling comfortable around Oin, since he tended her wounds he was one of the few dwarves she interacted so far. And Oin seemed to like this little mysterious girl because she seemed like a though one. Didn't even complain once about her leg, and that was one nasty cut. "Awright lass.." he said while rolling his eyes, "Hey, Nori, if he shows up, you pay double."

Nori turned his head to look at him with a grin on his face, "Alright laddie, you'll be one broke dwarf by the end of the day." When he turned forward, Fai gave Oin a reassuring smile and he put down with his hearing trumpet deciding there'd be no more talking. Dwarves were riding rather quietly. Thorin was riding on the frontmost and Fai wanted to keep the distance at all costs. She managed to be basically invisible to him the whole morning, even though she still couldn't walk properly. While the dwarves were getting ready, Kili had introduced her to everyone, and they were all surprised at how quickly she memorized their names. After finishing the preparations, they had fetched her a cloak and a pony. At first she was terrified but it only took her 10 minutes to get used to it, as the pony was really petite and lamblike.

Suddenly, there was a voice. A squeak, actually.

"Wait! Wait!"

They heard the voice calling out from way behind them. As it got closer, dwarves stopped their ponies one by one. Finally, the owner of the voice caught up with them. It was Bilbo, and he was out of breath.

"I signed it." said the hobbit as Balin took the parchment from him. Fai watched closely as he put on some sort of magnifying glasses and examined the signature. She wondered what he looked for, it must be one pure dwarven gesture. Whatever he was looking for seemed to please Balin, as he smiled at Bilbo and welcomed him to the company. Not to her surprise, Thorin wasn't impressed at all, he only opened his mouth to assign Bilbo a pony. In no time, they were on the road again.

Oin was the happiest, as he roared with utter joy. "Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on!" Nori threw a pouch of coins back at them, without even looking at Oin's overly pleased face. After securing the coins, Oin patted Fai on the back so hard that she almost fell from her pony. Bombur on her right caught her from the neck of her cloak as if she was a kitten, and mounted her back on the pony. While Bofur behind them cracked up with his hilarious laughter, Oin smiled contentedly to her. "I'm starting to take a liking to you, child!"

Gandalf looked back at them and locked eyes with her, worried of the Wizards reaction, her smile slowly faded away. However, Gandalf smiled and she could've sworn that he winked at her.


After the 6 hours ride it was only midday when they stopped for lunch. Thorin was not happy about taking a break before the evening, but Bombur's grumbling stomach drove everyone insane to the point where no one wants to ride near him. Honestly, Fai could use a break as well, since her thighs were hurting from the long ride. Of course she didn't say a word, nor showed a sign of discomfort. It was Bofur who dismounted and kindly escorted her to a place she could sit and rest. He had eyes so warm and friendly that makes him look like he's smiling even at the times he does not. She liked how his braids look, and the way he talks.

"We've been only introduced by the lad," he said, sitting against her. "You don't know much about the laddies, and we don't know a thing about you. D'ya even know where we headin?"

"Uhm, from what I heard yesterday, we're going to the Lonely Mountain." said Fai, she was always tense about the possibility of her big mouth giving her away.

"And for what reason?" smiled Bofur, hesitant about what to say Fai quickly came up with an evasive answer. "Gandalf told me about the quest."

Bofur nodded and didn't know what to think about this young girl. She was young, she wasn't a dwarf but he viewed her as he did Kili. They could be considered peers. So 3 babies to look out for, he tought. But it wasn't exactly like that, there was Nori taking great care of Ori and Kili got Fili. Even though Gandalf was the one who insisted on she must be taking care of, he wasn't really the nurturing type. Seeing her trying to fit in, riding for hours with an injured leg without complaining, hiding behind them whenever Thorin slows down.. All these things made him sadden for this child. He decided to look after her. In fact, it would be better for him to have somebody to talk, since Bombur was only available when he wasn't hungry (which was really rare), and Bifur was just.. He wasn't really talkative let say, at the very least.

Fili and Kili were sitting by the fire while watching Bofur and Fai. "It's weird, you know." said Fili, without further explanation. Kili nodded in agreement, as he was thinking likewise, and "What do you think Gandalf could've meant when he said 'this is beyond us' to uncle?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I'm glad we didn't abandon her. With no memory and no place to go, it would only have been cruel." Fili answered, and he meant it. He didn't talk much with the girl yet, however, there was nothing to dislike so far. She seemed witty and fun, and it was nice to have someone different amongst them. She was a change of the atmosphere. "I wonder how it works, I mean, her memory loss. Wonder what she remembers and vice versa."

"I don't have a bloody idea," said Kili eagerly, "but Gandalf said she need to be protected and she has 13 swords! Well, maybe 12" he finished rather low-pitched, he couldn't be sure if Thorin would really protect her after all.

"And do you think that would be enough?" Fili's eyes widened in disbelieve, he really couldn't believe how ignorant his brother sounded. "We're in the wild, brother, she needs to be trained. She must learn how to use a weapon, how to hide, how to move quickly when we face the enemy. And believe me, although I'm happy that we didn't leave her behind, including her to our journey is no different then a death sentence. She can't even walk by herself, as in this moment. She should've been trained.."

"Thank you, and now I'm concerned even more." Kili frowned. "I- I never had something to protect, you know, besides you, even most of the time you are more than capable. Back in Ered Luin, I was one of the babies and I was the one who needed care, training and protection. And now that she is here, more vulnerable than any of us, I can't stop the urge to be around and guard her. We took care of her yesterday and I liked that feeling. I'm helping her walk and everything, and this.. This makes me feel.. Useful." Fili nodded in understanding, and looked at Fai who still sits with Bofur over there, under the tree. He knew exactly how Kili feels, because Kili was the one who made Fili feel useful all the time. Like he had this constant duty to protect his brother and the duty itself protected Fili.

Kili continued explaining, "It's like- I don't know, it's something about our kin, I guess. Because this is more like an instinct."

"And there is also Bilbo," Fili added. "Maybe Thorin would protect Fai, but I'm not expecting him to believe that a burglar needs the one who needs protection. He was expecting something so much better and now furious with him for not meeting his expectations. So, we have to teach Bilbo how to use a sword or something before he got himself killed."

They continued to sit under the tree quietly, each buried into his own thoughts. Gloin were starting a fire while Bombur eagerly gathering the food he will cook. Gandalf and Thorin wasn't in sight, and one could really tell when Gandalf's not around, considering his size. All the dwarves were busy with their own business, and it looked like a quite noon where sun shines upon. Looking around, Fai wondered if they could be this peaceful later on the quest. And when they couldn't, how the hell she was supposed to protect herself? She remembered all the wargs, the orcs, the spiders, the goblins and Azog, and shivered in fear. Maybe it would even be better if I couldn't make it, for their sake, she thought. No more of her to protect, no one to risk the fate of entire Middle-Earth.

"We are in no danger and even if we were, someone would've been found us already by all these noise those laddies make," said Bofur, interrupting her thoughts. When she turned to look, saw him with a clarinet in his hands. "No harm in lifting the spirit up, eh?" and started to play it. It was a soothing yet cheerful melody. She closed her eyes and let it take over.


"Tell me Gandalf, for I can not understand how my quest of reclaiming my homeland turned into this another, nonsense duty?" said Thorin, in exasperation. He was pacing back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Your purpose stands solid and no one told you otherwise." Gandalf answered impatiently. Excessive dwarven stubbornness was trying his patience for days. "Did you stuffed your ears with mud? What I'm saying is, this journey won't meet its end, if you don't protect this girl as your own."

"And that is what's been scratching my head, Tharkûn. How on Middle-Earh, a useless little girl could set the tone of our journey? What is it with her that binds our destiny to her well-being? You are bottling up secrets, Gandalf, and you know I am not the trusting kind."

Now it's Gandalf who was pacing back and front. He was getting to his nerves, this little dwarf. Ah, if he only knew.. Wizard has seen enough people putting their own desires and purposes ahead, instead of thinking maybe there might be things greater than them, and some things are beyond their understanding. Being this old was sometimes a burden on his shoulders.

He looked at the dwarf King and spoke with his calmest voice. "Promise you, dear Oakenshield, that you will understand. But now is not the time for it."

Thorin looked at the wizard, unsatisfied and angry still, but said no more. Instead, he turned around and disappeared from sight. However, the last thing Gandalf saw made him smile, as his sword was drawn, meaning he went scouting around for any possible dangers. This must be enough for now, he thought to himself.


They ate and jumped back on their ponies. Thorin and Gandalf were back in the last minutes of lunch, each came from a different direction. While the other dwarves pack, Oin tended Fai's wound once again and this time she got Bombur eying her with a worried expression. She had won his heart when offered him the food she couldn't finish. If this is how it's gonna go, she thought, then he'd wanna marry me by the end of the journey. Because the dwarves were eating so much and somehow they got the wrong impression that she needs as much food as they do. They filling her plate with food that'll do for 3 meals, every time.

On the road, she was riding along with Fili and Kili this time, one to her left and the other on her right. Bofur were following them behind, and she was glad to have Bombur in front of her, blocking the view so she couldn't see the back of Thorin's head.

"We'll train you, you know, the moment you get back on your feet." said Fili, taking her measure. "What weapon do you think that'd suit you?"

Fai relieved with the offer, though it was more of a briefing than an offer. "I am definitely not the axe kind nor I could handle a sledgehammer."

Kili cracked up at the image of her trying to handle those heavy weapons. "And no one expects you to, have you seen yourself?"

For some reason his words got her into a huff. She didn't want him to see her as this fragile and weak. Fili caught up on her mood swing and smiled. "Dear, have you seen him? He can't handle those either, he goes with sword, bow and arrows."

Kili shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. "Yeah, but I am the best at what I use."

"And maybe you can teach me too." Fai asked, "Running with a huge sword would only slow me down, needless to say I'd be slained before even thrusting it in whatever creature. Bows are rather weightless and would let me protect myself without getting too close."

Fili admired her self-acceptance. She wasn't acting like someone she's not, and she was definitely smart enough to know the best way to protect herself. And she was, somehow, looking more aware of how dangerous Middle-Earth could be than any other dwarf, including himself.

"By all means, I will, m'lady." Kili answered bowing his head in fake chivalry that made her laugh. And he was feeling kind of happy that she asked him. "We'll see if you got the talent, though."

"You whippersnapper." she snorted, which made Kili chuckle even more. "Me what?"

"Illiterate much?" Fai said in return, grinning. "That is a word used for braggers like you."

"Well, wait till you see me using my bow." he said, not even offended a bit. However, there was something he didn't know, she's seen him using his bow, even though it was in another world and felt like another life really far away. She was screaming his name in a movie theater, goddamnit. Now they were riding side by side, mocking each other, even.

Watching those two bicker was really entertaining for Fili. He saw a side of her that reminded him of his dear brother. But he needed to interrupt before their chuckles and witty comebacks caught Thorin's attention. "We'll start tomorrow then. The next time we stop will be in the night-time, not a good time for archery training. Till then, you better take these daggers." He drew two middle-sized daggers from his belt and elongated them to the girl riding beside her.

She took them without a word. Those were the first weapons she has ever owned, besides the tear gas spray she carried with back on Earth. Carrying daggers made everything feel more real, and even more serious now. She tried to imagine the first moment she would have to stick them into something or someone - and trembled in distress.


End Note: as always, thank you for reading! you just hang in there, promise the next episode will be very exciting! Don't forget to review! :3