Here's the next chapter! Last chapter was re wrote and rewrote because I was going to have Thorin give Erika a sword from the Troll cave but I don't think Erika would have waiting that long for a weapon! I've been watching some deleted scenes and they're so good! I've seen few already and already thought (even though I'm not near those parts yet) how I can work them in!

Runa - Thank you so much for your review And I'm glad you like the little snippets about Erika's life. And I'm glad you look forward to the story!

Erika sat on the edge of the cliff, her legs swinging over; she had of course already tried sitting there only to be told to come away from the edge by Thorin, who now sat asleep on a rock. Erika, however, hadn't seen the big dea. Not like I'm gonna throw myself off, is it? Erika had sough comfort on the ledge when woken by the loud snores of Bombur, she supposed the other Dwarves were used to it. Few of the the company were awake; Fili and Kili, who were on watch, Balin and Gandalf. The wizard sat smoking his pipe watching over the company; his old eyes glancing to Erika. No, Gandalf didn't believe she would do anything stupid on the cliff ledge but something about the small blonde made the old wizard think. He, of everyone, knew that she was not telling them everything and he planned on finding out soon. Yes, she had spoke of her life before Middle Earth to the company; but he had a feeling that she was holding somethings back. And Gandalf who would pride himself in his knowledge, felt horribly out of his depth not knowing the Nord's full story.

Looking over her shoulder, she smirked as she saw a tired Bilbo pull himself up, not however without sending a distasteful look at Bombur. Erika knew the little hobbit was used to a full nights sleep, and her expression softened as she thought how Bilbo was going to have to get used to a few things on this journey; he wasn't going to be able to sleep or eat as much as he was used to whilst they were travelling. She heard Bilbo pad over to the ponies, despite not wanting to ride one, Bilbo had grown incredibly fond of his pony, Myrtle. Smiling, she listening to Bilbo pat and coo over Myrtle, telling her she was a good girl and not allowing him to fall. Erika guessed this was why Bilbo had kept his apple from lunch; just then a terrifying screech filled her ears. A cold chill running down her back, Erika had never heard anything like that before, not even in deep bowels of Skyrim, and some pretty dark and disturbing creatures lay in wait there.

"What was that?!" Bilbo asked, shuffling round to look at the brothers on watch.

"Orcs." Kili answered in a hushed voice.

Clearly not like the Orcs in Skyrim. Erika thought.

"Orcs?!" Bilbo echoed, in a slightly louder voice, and Erika heard Bilbo pad past her quickly.

"Throat cutters." Erika recognized the voice as Fili's. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The low lands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and Quiet." Kili whispered, "No screams, just lots of blood."

Erika felt chilled; the hairs on the back of her neck stood. these were definitely not like Orcs from her homeland; whom only attacked, in her experience, when they or their encampments were threatened. Erika knew at once, she had no wish to see the Orcs of Middle Earth. She didn't not want the boys to see they had not only scared Bilbo but her as well, so she kept looking out over the cliff. Her blue eyes now scanning down below, now she was aware of her enemy. It scared her, she had sat there so precariously, without a care in the world.

"You think that's funny do you? You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"

Erika tensed herself. She hadn't realized Thorin had woke.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili answered in a small voice.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world."

Erika's head dipped as she felt his presence draw nearer. He stood a few feet away from her on ledge, and she glanced a look at him. He looked almost sad as he stared off into the deep night sky.

"Don't mind him Laddie," Balin said. "He has more reason then most to hate Orcs."

"How? Why?" Bilbo asked in a barely audible voice.

"After the dragon took the mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria, but our enemy had been quicker. Orcs swarmed Moria and they were led the most vile of their race, a pale Orc by the name of Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the Line of Durin, he began by beheading the king. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad with grief, and went missing' taken prisoner or dead, we do not know. We were leaderless, defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him, a young Dwarf prince facing his terrible foe, his armor rent; wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler, learnt that day that the Line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and we drove the Orcs back, our enemy had been defeated. But there were no feast or songs that night, as our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived, and I thought to myself then: 'There is one I could follow. There is one I could call king.'"

A silence fell upon on the company and Erika took in the story. Out the corner of her eye she saw Thorin turn back to the company.

"And the Orc?" She whispered. "What happened to it?"

"The filth crawled back into the hole it came from and died long ago." Thorin responded in a cold voice. "Get back to sleep."

Erika heard the company move back into their places and Gandalf tell Fili and Kili to sleep, he would take next watch. It wasn't long before she could hear the even breathing and snores of the Dwarves and Bilbo; but she could still feel Thorin beside her.

"I told you to get away from the edge."

"In case I fall or the Orcs?"

Erika cursed herself as she heard her voice shake as she spoke of those dark creatures.

"Both." Thorin spoke, before he began to walk back to the rock he had been perched on.

"How did you do it?"

The Dwarf stopped, his back still to her. He didn't know which shocked him more. Her question or the shake in her voice, the pitch had changed and she sounded upset.

"Do what?"

"All of it. You'd lost your home and then your family and you could...without thinking."

Thorin strode over to Erika, and sat by her on the cliff. With a side glance he watched her. Her blue, dewy eyes glared hard out at the landscape in front of them.

"There was nothing to think about. I'd just seen my grandfather beheaded right in front of me. I was upset, of course I was, it was eating away at me. But anger took over; it all just happened."

Erika dipped her head, now rebuking herself because she had pulled her back away from her face; now she had nothing to hide behind as it would fall as a curtain between her and Thorin, she willed it to. It didn't. The Dwarf prince was shocked as he saw small tears slide down her face.

"Why?"

"I couldn't. There was so much death, it was all confusing and families were torn apart." Erika sniffed. "It was scary; and I...I think I've done something really bad."

"I doubt you could."

"I have." Erika was now openly crying. And she and Thorin both patiently waited until she had calmed down a bit. Thorin was unsure what to do as she cried, he hadn't been near a crying female since Dis had lost her husband. "I thought I was doing the right thing, I believed it. But once he won...it changed. We'd put a mad man on the throne. It was all our fault."

"Did you know that when you were fighting with him?"

"For him. No, I believed in what he was saying. We were taking back our home, you can't say that's wrong."

"No."

"Once he had the throne...once he was High King...he changed...he was cruel."

Thorin was quiet. He truly was at a loss, he didn't know what to say to the girl. She had never been so honest, so open about her life. Awkwardly he reached over, placing his large hand on her arm. He gently rubbed her arm and after seeing a small smile stopped and squeezed a little.

"Stop your tears, little bird." He said softly, "It's time for bed."

He stood, offering a hand to the Nord. Placing her hand in his, she allowed him to pull her up. The two stood facing each other when Thorin,without thinking, lifted his hand and wiped her tears from her face.

"We've another long day of riding a head of us tomorrow." Thorin led her to her pack, which was between Fili and Kili. He stopped at the rock he had been resting on, leaning back on it. "Get some rest."

Erika's bed roll was squeezed between the two brothers. She got between them and curling up slightly.

Erika awoke, when she felt the boys which she was cuddled up to shift. Fili carried on, moving past them to help Dori get the ponies ready. Kili stuck to Erika's side, the tow of them kneeling at the end of their bed roll, they took care of their bedrolls and made sure everything was put into their packs. Kili took her bed roll out of her hands to tie onto the back of his pony. Erika strode over to Gandalf who passed her an apple and a few slices of bacon for her breakfast, Bombur told her they would stop later on and have a good hearty meal to make up for this. Within minutes of their small breakfast and packing, the company were on their way, Erika sat behind Kili once more as they rode.

Within seconds, the heavens opened and the company were soaked to the bone. Fili, Kili and Erika rode in the middle with Gandalf and Bilbo. From behind they heard Dori shout,

"Mister Gandalf! Can't you do something about this deluge?"

"It is raining master Dwarf!" Gandalf called back, "And it will keep raining until it stops. If you want someone to change the weather, you will have to look for another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"Any what?" Gandalf replied confused.

"Other wizards?"

"There are five of us. The greatest of us is Saruman the White. Then there are the two blue wizard, I've quite forgotten their names."

"By accident or purpose?" Erika muttered in the ear of Kili, who snickered at her comment.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked.

"Well that would be Radagast the Brown." Gandalf explained.

"And is he a great wizard...or is he more like you?"

Erika and the Durin brothers giggled at Bilbo's comment, which earned the hobbit a glance from Gandalf.

"I happen to think he's a very great wizard...in his own way. He's a gentle soul, who prefer the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east and a good thing to, for evil will always look to find a foot hold in this world."

Fili nudged his pony forward, now trotting between Thorin and Dwalin. Kili and Erika continued their pace, Erika hugging Kili's back for any warmth she could scavenge. The young Dwarf felt sorry for Erika, but he had no spark cloak to give her, he felt immensely bad as he could feel her shaking hands hold onto his coat. Pulling his pony to the side at a halt he took Erika's hands and placed them under his coat at his sides. Her hands clutched his clothes, which were drier, it wasn't much, but it was more heat then she had before. Kili picked up the rear as Nori passed them.

"Are there wizards in your world?"

"Sure, in one of the towns there's a college for those who can do magic, mages. Most are nice, I went a few times. I'm not so good at magic, but work would take me there. The only one I never really got on with was Ancano. He really boiled my blood." Erika made an almost growl like noise which received a burst of laughter from Kili, before muttering. "Bloody elf. He was a right a bastard!"

Kili laughed even louder, causing a few member of the company to glance back at the two. "Say that in front of Uncle and he'll love you forever!"

Bofur, who was closer to Bilbo then the young ones at the back turned his head at Kili's laughter, and caught snippets of their conversation. Since the storm had started their moods had been low and needed lifting. Bofur decided everyone could do with a laugh, at Erika's expense; not the hobbits for once. And so he loudly, so everyone behind and in front, shouted,

"Sorry Kili! I didn't hear that! What's going to have our gracious leader Thorin loving our little bird Erika forever?"

Kili and Erika looked at Bofur, who couldn't decide whether to look forwards or backwards. Kili wore a cheeky smile and Erika's eyes widened, she would've hid her face in Kili's jacket had it not been soaked, so looked away to the side. Kili caught on quickly and joined in the fun and games.

"I asked her if there were wizards in her land,"

"Yea?"

"And she was telling me of a college of them!"

"And what of them?"

"She said they were all nice!"

"All of them?"

"All but one."

"Just one?"

"Just one."

"Said he was a right bastard!" Kili shouted back at the top of his voice, now aware that Thorin had turned his head to watch the two.

"That's not very nice!"

"Called him a 'bloody elf!'"

Kili and Bofur both caught the small look of pride on Thorin's face, which quickly turned back to face the front.

The company finally stopped shortly after the rain did. They had come to the ruins of a farm house, and Thorin announced they would stay there for the night. As the company dismounted, they all went off to do their own jobs. Thorin stood with Gandalf in the ruins.

"A farmer lived here with his family. They were killed. Thorin we should really move on for a while."

"No. My company is tired and we need rest."

"We could make for the Hidden Valley."

"I will not go near that place!"

"Why not? We could get food, rest..advice from them."

"I do not need advice from them." Thorin said venomously.

"We have a map, we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us."

"Help us? Where were the elves when the dragon attack Erebor? Where were the elves when the pale Orc cut my grandfather's head from his body? We have received no help from the elves, nor do we need it!"

"I did not give you that map and key to hold onto the past!"

"I did not know they were yours to keep!"

"The Elves of Imladris are not the elves who you say betrayed you! Lord Elrond-"

"No!"

Gandalf pushed past the company and Erika, who had took her pack and bed roll from Kili made her way to the farm house ruins as Gandalf shouted his answer to Bilbo. Thorin, walking to Dwalin, demanded Bombur make supper, as Erika slid past him. His steel blue eyes watched her as she picked a spot near the rear. She placed her pack and bedroll down, she sat on her bedroll and was now out of the slightly chilly breeze. The tough Dwarf by Thorin had his cloak in his hand, and his old friend looked at him, a questioning look on his features.

"The lass hasn't dried or warmed up yet and it's going to be a chilly night."

"Keep it Dwalin."

"Thorin-"

"I have mine, my coat is enough for me. I'll give our little bird my cloak."

Dwalin nodded and went to help his brother. Thorin went to his pony before Fili and Kili took it, taking his pack, bedroll and cloak. He carried all near Erika, but placed his bedroll and pack down at the opening of the farm house. He looked at her, Dwalin was right, her hair was still stained a darker colour thanks to the rain and her clothes clung to her. She was shivering slightly. And she jumped slightly as Thorin placed the warm cloak around her shoulders.

"You looked cold."

"Thank you."

"Thank Dwalin, he noticed."

"I shall." Erika dipped her head; and Thorin had come to understand it was a sign of respect from her. "Can I take watch tonight?"

"Are you sure?"

"As long as I can sleep now. But you have to wake me up later."

"You'll be woken when Bombur has made supper." Thorin told her, walking over to her, "You can have second watch; it will be Dwalin then you. Then you will wake me."

"Gives me a chance to thank him." She said looking up, a small smile on her lips.

Erika lay her bed roll down , making sure her pack was near her, she lay down down and curled up. She pulled Thorin's cloak round her tight and Thorin watched as within seconds of her eyelids closing, she began to fall asleep.

"Rest well, my little bird."

I think that was one of the longest chapters so far!

How did you guys like that?

Let me know what you think!