Disclaimer: Still isn't mine (sad face)

Hello hello :) I had every intention of updating yesterday but got massively distracted by the need to celebrate my friend finally quitting her terrible job and then spent all today writing the ending before finally remembering to finish this chapter. Anywho, I apologise, this isn't quite up to the standard I would have liked but I've rewritten it four times now and unfortunately this is as good as it gets.

A Tale of Dragonfire

The next morning dawns bright and, after a decent night's sleep in master Bilbo's armchair, our little Kali's spirits are high as she sets off with the rest of the dwarves. For the most of the day's journey she rides with the two prince brothers, feeling at least slightly closer to them than the others after the events of the night before.

The lion's share of the conversation is between her and Kili, comparing and arguing the merits of longbow over short and admiring each others form. He lends her his arrows (for he has many more than she and senses her attachment to each one) and they take pot shots at birds flying overhead. Despite having to adjust to the weight difference between her arrows and his, both Kali and Kili manage to take down a fat partridge each as they flee with a small group that their ponies heavy steps disturb from the tall grass in passing.

Kali wonders if the others will wait while she claims the kill, but they are moving fast and she knows that by the time she catches their attention she would have lost sight of the carcasses. The young blonde prince sees her disappointment and, before she knows it, he is jumping smartly from his pony's saddle, collecting the birds in one large hand and, jogging to keep up with his mounts quick pace, swinging himself back onto the saddle. Kali laughs and claps her hands, impressed by the speed and grace she would never have expected from him, and he bows his head with a grin before tossing her one of the bodies to dress as they ride.

"My brother is something of a show off" whispers Kili, with every intention of Fili hearing. "And he never did like to see a young lady disappointed"

"Or perfectly good meat go to the scavengers," Fili laughs "though perhaps you should prepare the bird, brother. My 'showing off' has quite exhausted me" he moves to throw the bird at Kili who urges his pony forward.

"No, no brother, I would never dream of stealing your glory" he throws over his shoulder as he catches up with their uncle at the front of the group, leaving Kali alone with Fili.

Unsure of what to say without the enthusiastic youth at her side, Kali opts instead to ready the bird for consumption, tearing feathers from its breast plate and gutting the creature in one quick motion (her knife is of shining steel and evil, serrated edges, much more fit, in Fili's eyes, for a dwarf than the elvish-looking longbow) before packing it tightly with handfuls of dry grass and hanging it from a loop in her saddle bag. He attempts to copy, though his method is much messier than hers. He catches her watching with a smile and returns it "It is not as easy as you make it look" he admits and she laughs again.

"You have not done as badly as you think, friend. Next time, though, you might find it easier to start here..." she leans over and her dark hair blows in his face, quite distracting him from what she says next (though he cannot be held too much to blame for this, in the spring months when her larder is full Kali finds time to make soaps scented with wild apple and we can only assume that her hair smells much more pleasing than the sweaty leather and pony odours the young prince has grown accustom to in his travels) "... then when we reach the river we can remove the grass and wash the cavity ready for cooking." She leans back to her own saddle and, seeing the expression on his face, laughs again. "You haven't been listening to a single word I have said, have you princeling?"

Luckily for him Kili comes, unintentionally, to his brother's aid. Judging that enough time has passed for the birds to be suitably prepared and his help with the unpleasant task to not be needed he waits a little way ahead for them. "Fili! Kali!" They both look up, Fili glad of the distraction while Kali is more than a little disappointed that the tormenting of the young prince has come to an end so soon. "The others are placing bets on whether or not the hobbit will come! Òin is offering double your wager back should he follow before nightfall" this peaks the interest of Kali, who nurses a shameful love of all things gambling, nurtured by winter evenings spent playing card games by the fire and deer stalking trips made exciting by a few coins exchanging hands.

They quicken their pace and join the others just as the last of the bets are being taken. Unable to refuse the generous odds, Kali hands over a substantial quantity of money in the hobbit's favour, and finds herself to be one of the few (with only the company of Gandalf and Òin himself) who does. The money is given to Nori for safe keeping, as he has no desire to place a bet himself. Thorin, who rides still at the front of the troupe, neither places a bet nor acknowledges that the others have, simply staring at the road ahead with great seriousness as he has since they left.

For a while Kali rides with all the dwarves, learning their names and relations (Bombur, who takes the bird from Fili and finishes dressing it in much the same way Kali did, is brother to Bofur and cousin to Bifur. Balin, with the white beard and kind eyes, is brother to Dwalin, with the bald, tattooed head and gigantic axe. Nori, Dori and Ori are all brothers, likewise Gloin and Òin) and laughing at their jokes. They are more open to her today than they were the night before, the promise of fresh meat for their supper cheering them greatly.

It is approaching noon and Kali is just beginning to worry that perhaps she will lose the wager when, crashing through the trees down shortcuts and rabbit paths he must have learnt from years of wandering this land, Bilbo emerges from the woods, panting and waving a slip of paper in his hand.

"Wait, wait!" He calls, and they halt. Bent almost double he thrusts the contract at Balin, who takes it and pulls a pair of glasses from beneath his cloak. "I signed it" the young hobbit beams with pride, and after a few moments reading Balin nods in approval.

" Everything appears to be in order." Even Thorin, who for most of the day has shown interest in nothing, has turned to watch the exchange "Welcome, mister Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

The king grunts and turns back to the road. "Give him a pony" he says, before setting off again without waiting for the others. The hobbit tries to protest but is lifted against his will by Fili and Kili onto the saddle of the spare pony who had, until now, been following behind Gloin and his ride. Unhappy with the situation he rides between Gandalf and Kali with the two brothers ahead of them, who seem so enthralled in conversation Kali feels unwilling to force her company upon them and instead chooses to chat with Bilbo, trying her best to cheer him on as he obviously feels he deserves.

"Congratulations, mister Baggins" she says with a smile "am I correct in guessing that this is your first trip away from home?"

"Well, I go on a lot of walking holidays miss Kalliste" he mutters shyly "I once made it all the way to Frogmorton..."

She laughs and resists the urge to ruffle his curls "Don't be ashamed to say it is, my little friend, this journey will be my furthest from home also. And please call me Kali. Or Hunter. Or anything of your choosing, I would even prefer you refer to me as orc-scum than with the age such formality suggests" she succeeds in bringing a smile to the hobbit's face and they chat all the way to the Brandywine, where the travelling party stops briefly to wash the meat in the clear waters before continuing onwards through Bree.

Once they pass the town Nori begins to pass out the winnings to the few that won the wager made earlier in the day. Kali catches the money bag tossed towards her easily. Bilbo, curious about the large amounts of money changing hands, turns to Gandalf "What's that about?"

The wizard's eyes twinkle with merriment and he removes his pipe from his mouth "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up." He returns the pipe to his lips but swiftly removes it again to add "Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

"Oh" Kali's new little friend looks at her and she offers him only a knowing smirk. "And what did you think?" He asks of the old man.

Gandalf stalls for a moment, and deftly catches the bag that sails through the air towards him. "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second"

Kali slows, missing the rest of the conversation. She has seen the oaks that hide her home from the road and, she is almost certain, the briefest glimpse of a familiar head of grey hair between them. She raises her hand in a quick salute, in case any old friends might be watching, before speeding her pony to a trot.

Casting one last glance behind her she notes with approval that smoke still rises from between the trees.