Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. This is Tolkien's world. I'm just living in it.

Through the Inferno

Chapter 3: Fight! Fight! Fight!

"Gandalf," I said with a nod. I entered the Hobbit hole and continued, "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door." I began to pull off my cape as a small man with a mop of curly hair wearing a white shirt and breeches approached.

"Mark?" he asked. "There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!"

"There is a mark," answered the wizard. "I put it there myself." I shook my head. Of course, he had destroyed the man's property without consulting him. The small creature, the Hobbit, glared at Gandalf and was met with a fond smile. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield." I looked the Hobbit up and down. He had the build of a family man, not of a warrior, or even a burglar.

"So," I said and took a step forward, "this is the Hobbit." The burglar looked a little unsettled and I smirked in amusement. I began to circle him to see if I could get him even more uncomfortable. It was more than effective. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins," I said as I walked, "have you done much fighting?" No.

"Pardon me?" he asked. Definitely no.

"Axe or sword is your weapon of choice?" I teased. He smiled nervously before an expression of pride came to his face.

"Well," he said, "I do have some skill in conkers, if you must know, but I… fail to see why that's… relevant." I smirked again.

"Thought as much," I said, and added as I glanced over my shoulder at my nephews, "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." My little joke was met with laughter from everyone but the Hobbit.

I followed my companions to the food. They had already eaten most of it, but there was a pot of stew left over. Just as well. I had no appetite that night. As I settled down and Bofur poured me a bowl of the stew, I noticed something to my right. It took me a moment to realize it was a hooded figure rather than a mass of black cloth.

"Gandalf," I called. "I did not know you brought a guest." Who else would have brought someone outside the decided company? The person could have been the Hobbit's friend, but I doubted any other Hobbit would have stayed in the company of my Dwarves for long.

"Ah, yes," said the wizard as he settled down in a chair to my left. "About that…" A small, slender hand appeared and pushed the hood back. I found myself at a loss for words. It was a woman. A woman with strange, dark eyes that seemed to be staring straight through me. She looked at me as if she knew me, and I found myself strangely uncomfortable under her gaze. I noted her expression with confusion. It was a look I had seen on countless Dwarves, some Men, and even a few Elves. Cold and dark, she had the look of a warrior.

"My name is Blair," she said, her accent unlike any I had heard. "Blair Yoon." I shook my surprise quickly and turned to glare at the wizard.

"Why have you brought her here?" I asked. Gandalf smiled sheepishly as he lit his pipe.

"She fell from the sky in front of me as I was coming to this place," he said calmly. "I assumed it was a sign that she should join the company." Everyone stared at the strange-eyed woman as a slight blush rose under her skin. I raised an eyebrow at her, only partially doubting Gandalf's account. I had heard stranger tales regarding the wizard.

"And do you fall out of the sky often?" I asked. She smiled humorlessly and shrugged.

"Dunno," she replied. "It's the first time I've died, to my knowledge."

"But… what?" said the startled burglar.

"You're alive," said Ori slowly.

"I shouldn't be," said Blair quietly. I stared hard at her, trying to understand what she and Gandalf were talking about as the Dwarves whispered to each other. I hadn't heard anything stranger than that in regards to Gandalf or any other being in Middle Earth.

"Would you care to explain what happened?" I asked as evenly as I could. Blair eyed me for a moment before standing and pulling at the collar of her shirt. I watched, baffled as the woman pulled her shirt down her chest. A few Dwarves gasped, Fili and Kili chuckled, and Bilbo and Ori began spluttering. What she revealed astonished even Gandalf. There was a massive scar on her chest, right over her heart. The scar was large and ugly, discoloring her pale skin. It looked almost as if flaming arrow had pierced her chest. She looked down at her scar and seemed rather impressed with the mark. Then she looked at each Dwarf with her strange eyes, finally resting on me.

"I'm not from this world," she said. "Where I come from, there are no Elves, no wizards, no Hobbits. I was trying to kill the leader of group that had terrorized my city for almost three decades, but his men found me. They chased me, and I almost escaped, but… someone I… well, I got shot." She covered up her scar again and sat down. She sighed and hunched down in her chair. "I'm assuming you can see that there's no way I survived. I remember dying, but here I am." I could tell she wasn't lying. Her strange looks and accent were otherworldly, and she could not have recovered from such an injury. But it seemed almost too impossible to believe.

"Why are you here?" I asked. She looked at me a frowned.

"What do you mean?" I scoffed.

"I mean, how did you get here? I have never heard of anyone dropping out of the sky claiming they had died."

"Well, I have," said Gandalf with a huff. Of course he had. "And it just so happens that the person who said they came from a different world is located along the path to Ere-"

"Gandalf!" I interrupted sharply and glared at the wizard. How could he mention our quest in front of an outsider?

"I know about Erebor," said Blair. I turned to her with wide eyes. That was impossible. "I know about Smaug and the portents and the treasure and everything. Don't worry. I'm not here to take your gold. I'm just… here."

"I believe that Blair should accompany you," said Gandalf before I could take in what the woman had just said. "There is a person from her world that lives in Mirkwood. You won't have to enter it with her," he said quickly after he noticed the look I gave him. "Just take her with you. She may even prove to be helpful to you. She seems able to fight, and has some knowledge that may prove to be useful." A few of the Dwarves murmured at this, but Dwalin gave a short dark laugh.

"Able to fight?" he scoffed. "This little lass? Yes, she has a scar, but I doubt she could hold her own against an Orc." There were nods and sounds of assent. I watched Blair out of the corner of my eye as Dwalin spoke. She ground her teeth and glared daggers at him. When she heard the others agree with him, a wild look entered her eyes and she stood.

"Would you like to step outside, Master Dwarf?" she said coolly. I couldn't keep the smirk off of my face. Was she really inviting him to fight her? Dwalin seemed thoroughly amused at the idea.

"And do what, lass?" he prodded. An alarming smile spread over her lips.

"Bring your weapons," she said and strode out of the room.

"She actually thinks she has a chance?" laughed Bofur.

"It appears she does," I said and stood. Our company flooded into the front garden with the Hobbit protesting a fight that might wake the neighbors. Dwalin was spinning his axes in his hands as he stood in the middle of the dirt road. Blair stood opposite him, watching him wield his weapons. At that moment, I felt a pang of worry for the young woman. Dwalin was almost a head taller than her, and probably three times as thick. He was an expert with his axes and knew how to deal very permanent damage. Blair looked so small and frail in comparison. As I looked between them, I realized something that caused my small concern to grow. She had no weapon.

"Fili," I called and my nephew approached me. "Give the woman a sword." He moved to retrieve one of his swords from the house when a voice reached us.

"I don't need a sword."

I really didn't need a sword. I had my knives, not that I'd use them either, but they didn't know that. In a fight of this sort, I considered sharpened weapons a hindrance. I would have had to move slower so I didn't cause any real damage.

At this point, I had observed Dwalin's strengths and weaknesses. He was strong and skilled. The way he handled his axes displayed familiarity, and I remembered that he had been a warrior for many years. He had fought countless times and survived. His weapons helped to intimidate, but not significantly. His build could be used against him. If I could get him off balance, that would give me the opening I needed. His weapons were a weakness. They were meant to harm, to kill, and he wished to do neither. They could be used to throw him off balance, or if I knocked them out of his hands it could stun him briefly. The darkness was a weakness. There was a slight glow from the windows of Bag End so we could see well enough, but I was wearing all black and had been fighting at night for the better part of four years. Dwalin's greatest weakness was his ignorance. He was unused to my style of fighting and it would take him a few precious moments to adjust. He didn't know about my knives. A few of them were small enough to enter a body without causing much harm, simply disable it. Best of all, he completely underestimated me.

I stared at Blair, completely bewildered. How could she refuse a weapon? She was so small and slight that it would have been her only advantage. I thought for a moment that perhaps she didn't know how to use one, but I quickly dismissed the idea. Something about her tone when she claimed to not require assistance made me believe her. The others chuckled or grumbled at her words. Dwalin laughed loudly.

"Ready, lass?" asked the old warrior. Blair rolled her eyes and looked at each member of the company. When her gaze landed on something behind me, she smiled reassuringly. I looked over my shoulder and saw the Hobbit, shaking and looking on in horror. I turned back to her and she looked at me as if to say, "Just watch."

"Are you?" I asked calmly as I looked back at Dwalin. He laughed again.

"Ready," he said and came at me, swinging his axes.

The Hobbit behind me squeaked in fright as Dwalin charged at the woman from another world. Someone, likely Gandalf, hushed him. I could feel Balin and Fili tense beside me. I was worried as Dwalin raised his axe as he neared Blair, but I found that I was not worried for her.

The look on Dwalin's face, so confident that he would win, infuriated me. Despite my anger, my blood remained cool and my heartbeat even. It had taken long nights, heavy concentration, and lots of training, but I had learned to control myself. I would save my energy for later, when I needed it.

Dwalin swung his axe and Blair disappeared. Dwalin only had time to frown before she reappeared, so close to him that he flinched away.

I grinned at Dwalin's surprised expression. I quickly gripped the back of his leg, hooked one of my legs behind his other leg, and positioned my hand on his chest. As I pulled on his leg, I pushed my hand on his chest and pulled back my leg, and he fell loudly onto his back. Before he had time to respond, I was on top of him with my hands positioned on his head. I twisted his neck so that his ear was facing me and I leaned down to it.

"Snapped your neck," I said quietly.

No one moved except Blair as she stepped away from Dwalin. He hadn't even moved his head since she had tilted it before whispering something in his ear. The rest of us simply stared at the scene before us in dumbfounded silence. I had never, ever seen Dwalin lying on the ground in defeat before landing a single blow. Slowly, he recovered and gathered up his axes and what was left of his pride. He turned to Blair and nodded his head.

"I misjudged ye, lass," he apologized. "I'd say you could hold your own against an Orc." Blair blinked and breathed deeply.

"I believe you could as well," she said with a small smile. Dwalin nodded slightly and returned to the group. As he reached us, Fili stepped forward.

"I'll have a go at you," he said. The woman raised an eyebrow at him. A few of the Dwarves sniggered. Balin leaned towards me and whispered, "He just wants her to climb on top of him the way she did to Dwalin just now." I nodded in agreement. Kili would probably ask her to fight next. They had a weakness for anything beautiful. I blinked, bewildered by my own thoughts. Was this woman truly beautiful?

"You sure you want to?" I asked Fili. Something about the look in his eye made me suspicious. I supposed this would be a different kind of fight. The blonde Dwarf smirked and nodded.

"Quite sure, miss," he said and headed back to his house to get his swords. I looked at the other Dwarves and tried to guess what was going on based on their reactions. Bofur and Bomber were giggling with each other. Balin was whispering to Thorin, who was staring intently at me. I looked away quickly and my eyes found Bilbo. He looked like he didn't believe what he had just seen. Again, I smiled and nodded to the Hobbit, trying to reassure him. He blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. When he focused on me again, he looked like he couldn't decide whether to disapprove of my actions or cheer for them. I glanced at Gloin, who was muttering something in Oin's hearing aid. Oin let out a short laugh before realizing I was watching them. I raised an eyebrow, but Fili came out of the house with his swords in his hands and drew my attention away from them.

"Sure you don't want a sword this time?" he teased and held one out to me as he reached me. I gave a wicked smile.

"Trust me, you'll need both," I retorted. He smirked and positioned himself a few feet away. He really did need both weapons. If he was skilled enough to handle them, it would give him an advantage. Still, I had my knives, I had the night, and he wasn't used to my fighting. He hadn't been a warrior as long as Dwalin, but he now knew to be careful about me.

I watched in wonder as my nephew and the woman danced around one another. Fili swung his swords carefully, not allowing her to get too close, for the time being. Blair moved out of the way, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing.

Occasionally she would move towards him, but he would respond and she would become invisible again. After a small smile to his brother, I knew Fili was about to let her close, just to see what would happen. He let his guard down and Blair reappeared, but she did not move in on Fili.

That little bastard. He let his guard down just to let me win. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. He was too good to let it happen naturally. I hadn't been looking for an opening at first. I had been studying his moves, seeing how he fought. He fought well, but now I knew what the fight was about.

I wasn't totally naïve. I knew what Fili was playing at. I would have loved to knock him on his back and just let him lie there, but I had different plans. The Dwarven prince was going to be put in his place on my terms.

Blair disappeared into the shadows again and Fili blinked in surprise. I smirked and turned to Balin.

"She knows what he's up to," I said. Balin chuckled.

"Aye," he said. "She really does know how to fight. If I had to, I think I'd bet on her to win even if your nephew wasn't going to let it happen." I clenched my jaw at Balin's remark.

"You think her better than a son of Durin?" I asked harshly.

"Judge for yourself," replied the elder Dwarf.

I stayed hidden in the shadows, hoping to put Fili on edge. I crept around him silently as he turned and looked for me. I smiled and stood behind him. I quickly tapped him on the shoulder and disappeared again. He looked unsettled and peered into the darkness, occasionally swinging one of his swords. I was careful to avoid them. He had kept the sheaths on them for my safety, but if he managed to land a blow, I'd lose.

The woman kept up the game for a few minutes. She'd materialize near Fili just to poke or tap him before hiding in the darkness again. I saw what she was doing. She was trying to frustrate Fili into attempting to fight her. I had to admire her sense of honor. Fili didn't seem to share my appreciation. A scowl began to form on his face and he began to put more force into his blind swings. He growled, and that seemed to be all the Blair needed.

She stood right in front of him, and in the next moment he was lying on the ground with her sitting on his chest. Her legs were spread open and her feet had his hands pinned down, keeping him from defending himself. She had something pressed against his throat, and I realized that she had been armed the entire time.

I smirked into Fili's face. He had clearly not expected that. After his shock wore off and my position registered in his mind, a playful smile spread over his face.

"I think I could get used to this," he said with a little effort, since I was in fact sitting on his lungs. I leaned forward and smiled.

"I don't think you could handle it," I said. His eyes lit up with amusement and he gave a breathy laugh. I smiled and removed myself from his chest.

I was baffled to say the least. I thought that Blair would have been angered by Fili's antics. Most respectable women turned down my nephews' attentions quickly. I had no doubt that Blair was worthy of respect, but she had just… she had even joked… As Fili returned, I noticed he was walking a little awkwardly and I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. I had to admit, that because of the position he had been in, his response was natural, but he had no shame in his expression. I was about to say something to him when Kili stepped forward and approached Blair.

Why did my nephews have such little self control?

I rolled my eyes as the Kili came forward, the same smile on his face as Fili's. He no doubt intended to get something to fantasize about later. I didn't really, so long as I got to kick their asses.

"Think you stand a chance?" I asked.

"Not at all," he responded and pulled his sheathed sword from his belt. I smiled at him and readied myself. Kili stepped forward and moved to stab at my middle, but I quickly danced out of the way. Before he could change his position, I grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto his back. I positioned myself above him and pressed my knife to his throat. Kili looked up at me, slightly dazed. I leaned down and put my mouth next to his ear.

"Looks like you were right," I whispered.

I found it difficult to look at my younger nephew as Blair whispered into his ear. He grinned stupidly, his thoughts plain on his face as the woman pushed herself off of him. He walked back to us, a shameless smile on his face as he nodded to his brother. I looked back at Blair. She had defeated Dwalin, one of my finest warriors, with complete ease, and had reduced my nephews to a pair of giggling miscreants.

I grew angry at the thought of the line of Durin behaving in such a manner. I knew I should have forced them to fight her again and regain some semblance of dignity, but I doubted that they would truly obey. They would simply repeat their actions. I growled in the back of my throat and stepped forward.

I was about to rejoin the group and head back inside when someone blocked my path. Thorin was standing there, glaring down at me. I blinked and stood there, stupidly staring back at him. What was his problem? Why was he looking at me like that? What was he doing? Then it hit me.

Aw, hell, I'm going to have to fight Thorin Oakenshield.

A/N: Yay, Thorin's POV! And Blair's! And the separations between the POVs looked so much better in my Word doc than they do here... Oh well. And now we see different aspects of Miss Blair's personality, along with her ever-present badassness.

She's going to fight Thorin? How is that going to play out? Who will win? Find out... next week? I might post it early, if you ask nicely. (I am so subtle wow how ever shall you pick up what I am laying down?)

xSiriuslyPadfoot: Ah yes. Perfection is boring. Blair is far from perfect. She's not always going to be nice and sweet and sometimes resorts to violence... I mean I guess you picked up on that in this chapter. And she got to meet Thorin (yay!) like you wanted, but I'm guessing this isn't exactly the ending you had in mind.