So, hi again!
Again, I own zilch. I wish I did, but alas I m just a humble FF writer.
My feelings right now are kina mixed...
On one hand, I am super excited that this story has had over 450 views, but on the other, I am discouraged because I've only had 2 reviews (one of which was telling me of a format issue and the other was telling me that the story was boring).
I'm sure you can guess what I'm feeling right now...
Anyway, no more pity parties. At this point in the story, we're going to head
away from the actually storyline just a tad.
As always, please review! It would make me so incredibly happy!
Enjoy!
~ Rachel

The company decided not to stop for lunch and nibbled on some fruit that grew along the edge of the road. The company was mostly silent except for the periodic whispers of Kili, Fili, and Tosur. Eraveth stayed close to Eärwen and was surprised to see the woman move off from the group and into the woods. She shared an inquisitive look with Bilbo and continued to follow Thorin. It wasn't until an hour later that the leader of the company realized the newest addition to their number was missing.

"Where did that woman go?" he growled as he turned to Bilbo and Eraveth.

The two simply shrugged at once and Eraveth said, "Lady Eärwen went into the forest some time ago and has not returned." Just as she said this, a whistle sounded from the tree line. Every head of the company turned toward the sound. Eärwen stood on the edge of the trees and motioned them forward. Behind her on the ground lay a large deer. Its two hind legs were bound together by a rope which Eärwen held in her hand.

"I thought some fresh meat might be nice to have while it's still available," she said with a smug smile. "There is a clearing in the woods about twenty yards from the road. I would humbly suggest to stop there for the night. We do not know if there is another suitable place to stop father down the road."

Thorin scowled at the woman before reluctantly agreeing to stop for the night. When this was announced, a cheer went up throughout the company. They followed Eärwen through the woods and into the large clearing. Packs were laid down and a fire was started. Eärwen hung the deer up in a tree and began the process of skinning the animal. Kili and Fili moved closer to watch and were confused when they could not see a wound on it. Eärwen noticed their study of the creature and simply turned it so they could see the small but precise wound in the animals neck.

Fili leaned in to examine the wound. It had not been made by an arrow. The wound was thin and about an inch wide. He glanced at the thin knife Eärwen was using to cut the skin around the animal's legs. It was a perfect match. He had a hard time imagining that her skill with throwing the blade was so precise that she had killed the deer with one throw so he asked, "How did you manage to kill it?"

Eärwen smirked at the young prince and said, "I hadn't intended to get meat. I was climbing a tree to scan the area and when I was climbing back down this deer was below me. So, I pulled out my knife and jumped."

Fili's eyes widened at the thought of her jumping from the tree and onto the animal. He glanced up to see Eärwen smiling at him. "I was kidding, Fili," she chuckled. "I have had many years of throwing practice. You must remember, Master Dwarf, I am ten times your age and have been training since I was sixty, which means I have had eight and a half centuries of training."

Eärwen finished skinning the animal and signaled Bombur and Bofur to come and retrieve the meat. She then took the skin over to the fire and began to clean it. She watched the Heirs of Durin whisper back and forth with Tosur and she felt slightly uneasy. Suddenly, a body plopped down beside her and she turned to find Bifur beside her whittling on a piece of wood.

He gave her a small smile before going back to his work. Eärwen simply shook her head and went back to her own work. As she scraped the hide, movement to her right caught her attention. Eraveth was looking furious and had something long and thin in her hand. She watched the young dwarrowdam march over to her brother and Thorin's nephews. Eärwen pulled a small bag of salt out of her bag and rubbed it into the hide as she watched the events unfold.

Eraveth stalked toward the young dwarves that were snickering to themselves. She tucked the object in her hand behind her back as she drew closer. She stopped before them and waited for them to notice her. She did not have to wait long before three pairs of mirth-filled eyes turned to face her. She hurled the object at them and yelled. "Do you think that's funny?" she yelled. The boys all jumped when the thin, black object hit them. The object raised up a narrow head and stared at them. Kili tried to scoot away from the snake that now lay in his lap but came up fast against the tree behind him.

"I know it was you three," Eraveth hissed at the trio. "Do you think that I didn't see you whispering and giggling amongst yourselves? If you ever try to prank me again I will make it that you rue the day that the thought even crossed your mind." Eraveth then turned and stalked away from the boys and came to sit beside Eärwen.

Eärwen finished up her work with the hide and set it aside. She patted Eraveth's shoulder and watched as the boys threw the snake back into the woods. She was about to say something when Bombur called out that the meal was ready. They had cooked the meat on sticks over the fire so that it would be easier to eat. She retrieved some for Eraveth and herself.

The meal was eaten quietly as Eraveth shot dirty looks at Kili, Fili, and Tosur. Bifur, who had watched the entire event unfold from his place beside Eärwen, rewarded each of the boys with a slap to the back of the head when they passed him to get some food. He winked at Eraveth before turning back to his food. Eärwen watched Eraveth grin at the older dwarf before nibbling on her meat once again. As soon as supper was finished and the few dishes that were dirty were cleaned, the dwarves settled down to sleep.

"I will take the watch tonight," Eärwen announced as everyone settled down on their bedrolls.

"You took the watch last night," Thorin said, coming to stand in front of her with his arms crossed.

Eärwen nodded and said, "That is correct, Master Thorin, but like the elves, I do not need as much sleep as you. I can go for days on only a few hours of sleep. I know your company is tired and I am fine to take the first few nights watch. Rest now and I will wake you if there is any trouble."

Thorin did not like this but agreed anyway because he knew that she spoke the truth. He returned to his bedroll and laid down. His eyes seemed to instantly rest on the form of the other female member of their company. She lay on her side facing away from him. He still felt reservation about allowing her to continue on the quest but decided that since she had quite possibly saved the life of his nephew that he would remain quiet for now. He turned to see Eärwen perched on a large rock as she scanned the surrounding woods.

Thorin awoke a few hours later to odd sounds coming from the forest around the company. He sat up with a grunt only to have a hand clamp tightly over his mouth.

"There is someone out there," Eärwen hissed in his ear. "Stay quiet and I will go find out who it is."

Thorin felt Eärwen move from his side but all was silent for several minutes. He stood to head after her when a body was pushed through the tree line and into the clearing. Eärwen emerged from the forest with an absolutely livid look on her face. She stormed over to the body on the ground and flipped him over. The person on the ground groaned as he tried to struggle to his feet. Thorin growled lightly as he studied the person. The tall build, long dark hair, and perfect pale shin could only mean one thing. Elf.

"What do you think you are doing?" Eärwen hissed as she yanked the newcomer to his feet by the collar of his tunic. "I could have killed you, Barathon. What are you doing out of Rivendell?"

The intruder lifted up his head, allowing his hair to fall back and revealing his pointed ears. He looked up into Eärwen's face and tried to smile at her. "I just wanted to help, Lady Eärwen," he said, his grey eyes sparkling.

Eärwen was clearly not happy with this elf and she gave him a rough shove. "You should not have come, Barathon. You are too young. Your mother will be worried sick!"

Barathon lowered his eyes and stared at the ground. "She will not miss me," he said as he nudged a pebble with the toe of his boot. "She barely seems to notice me since ada died."

Eärwen reached out and cuffed him behind the ear while saying, "That is not true and you know it, Barathon. Your mother loves you more than anything. If you truly wanted to help, why did you not make your presence known?"

"You know I do not travel with large groups," he said as he rubbed the side of his head. "Eärwen, you know that all I want to do is help. I am old enough to take care of myself and to make my own decisions."

Eärwen glanced around at the company that had somehow managed to remain asleep through the entire ordeal and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes met with those of Thorin before returning to rest on the young ellon in front of her. "This is one decision I will make for you," Eärwen sighed. "Go home, Barathon."

Barathon started to protest but Eärwen held up her hand and said, "Do not argue with me. Go home and take a message for me. Tell my adar not to worry. Do this for me, Barathon."

The argument seemed to die in the male elf as he listened to the last two sentences. He nodded once and turned. "Stay safe, Eärwen," he said before disappearing into the darkness.

Eärwen turned to Thorin and held up a hand to keep him from speaking. "Get some rest, Thorin," she said with a weary sigh. "Barathon will go home. You need not worry about him. He only meant well."

Thorin did not like that she was telling him what to do but he accepted her words and returned to his bedroll with a slight huff. His mind whirled as he thought of the young ellon and wondered how long she had known he was following them. He did not sleep any more, however, and helped Eärwen to wake the company when the sun rose.

Eärwen gently woke up the company with the help of Thorin and soon they were on their way. That day marked their ascent into the Misty Mountains. The weather was foul and drizzled most of the day until by nighttime it had formed into a raging storm. The company maneuvered the small trail that ran through the mountains with many problems. The rain had caused the stone to become slick and a few members of the company slid along the path several times.

Eärwen stayed in the back with Eraveth and Tosur. The terrain became more dangerous the higher into the mountains they went. Keeping her eyes on the company to make sure everyone stayed safe, she gasped when the hobbit lost his footing and would have fallen off the mountain side if Dwalin had not caught him.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin yelled from the front of the company. No sooner had the words left his mouth when Dwalin caught sight of something.

"Look out!" he warned as everyone looked up to see a giant boulder sailing through the air. It crashed into the mountainside above them and rained down rock and debris on the company. Eärwen pushed the closet dwarves to her against the mountain and used her body to shield them from the falling debris. She looked up into the storm and what she saw caused her to gasp.

Balin looked up as well and shouted, "This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle! Look!"

Everyone's eyes followed Balin's outstretched hand. The mountain opposite them began to move and it pulled a mass of rock from the mountain. It reared back in order to throw the giant rock.

"Well, bless me," Bofur gasped as he watched the stone creature. "Giants! Stone Giants!"

Just then, the creature threw the mass of rock and it sailed over them to connect with another giant that was coming around the mountainside. The ground beneath them began to tremble and the entire company watched in horror and awe as the mountain that they were standing on began to move. Eärwen clutched tightly to Tosur and Eraveth as she watched a large crack form in the path between Fili and Kili. She watched as the brothers were separated and their mountain stood to join in the fight. Before it was ever fully upright, it was slammed into by another giant that sent it reeling backward. The front half of the company was able to get off the leg they were standing on when the giant stumbled.

Eraveth screamed and watched as the giant they were standing on was hit and its head came off. The now headless body stumbled and began to fall toward the mountainside. Eraveth felt Eärwen tighten her hold on them and braced them against the coming impact.

Thorin watched helplessly as half of his company, including his beloved nephew, were smashed into the cliff. He raced around the bend to get to the spot where they had been. An overwhelming feeling of joy and relief filled him when he saw his people unhurt on the path ahead. He first searched for his nephew and was relieved to see his nephew's somewhat shocked face. He then caught sight of Eärwen as she removed her body from over Tosur, Eraveth, and Ori.

Suddenly, Bofur asked with a worried voice, "Where's Bilbo? Where's the hobbit?" Everyone looked around to find that the Halfling was not with them. Bofur then caught sight of Bilbo hanging over the cliff and everyone rushed toward him. Eärwen dove on her stomach and grasped Bilbo's hand just as it slipped from the wet, stone surface. Ori was soon beside her in an effort to reach his other hand, but Bilbo could not reach him. From her prone position, Eärwen could not pull the hobbit up and saw a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye.

Thorin grasped the edge of the path and swung himself down beside the hobbit. He grabbed his jacket and hoisted him up into the waiting arms above. Just as he moved to pull himself up, his own grip slipped and he would have fallen if Dwalin had not been quick enough to grab him.

"Thorin!" Eraveth screamed as she tried to make her way forward to help the dwarf lord. She reached her spot just as Dwalin pulled Thorin up. He was heaving and trying to stand.

"I thought we had lost our burglar!" Dwalin gasped as he struggled to his feet beside his prince.

"He's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin replied as he turned. He caught Eraveth's gaze but did not acknowledge her. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us."

He moved off then and called for Dwalin. Several of the company shot Bilbo sympathetic glances at their leader's harsh words and Eärwen helped him to his feet with assistance from Bofur. They moved forward and Eärwen watched Thorin and Dwalin move into a cave. She heard Thorin say to check the cave because very few in the mountains were uninhabited.

The company moved into the cave and began to make ready to go to sleep. Eraveth moved toward Thorin who was sitting by himself. "Are you all right?" she asked as she sunk to the ground beside him.

"I'm fine," Thorin said curtly and watched as the rest of the company began to settle down. He watched Bofur tell Eärwen to get some rest and he would take watch. Eärwen nodded and moved toward the back of the cave to lie down. Eraveth stayed beside him and he felt a small amount of comfort at her presence. He glanced at the dwarrowdam beside him and watched as her eyes slowly closed in sleep and her breathing evened out. Soon, only three of the company were awake, Thorin, Bofur, and Bilbo.

Thorin watched as Bilbo gathered his things and moved to leave. He felt some guilt settle into his chest as he remembered his harsh words to the hobbit. Bofur tried to convince him to stay, but the hobbit was determined to leave. Bofur seemed so disappointed as he wished the hobbit luck but stopped when he noticed the blue glow of Bilbo's sword. Thorin immediately sat up and yelled for everyone to get up.

Ok, just in case you were wondering, which you probably weren't but whatever,
Barathon is an OC created by my best friend.
It was a reward for her because she has so patiently read this story and
she was the one to encourage me to post it.
So if you are enjoying this, you have my friend to thank! :D
Also, Barathon will show back up...

One last time, please review!