'Onya! Please wait.' Thorin said, pulling her to one side of the cave away from the others.

'Will you leave me alone your majesty; you have nothing to say that I wish to hear.' She said, backed to the wall of the cave, the king closer than she expected.

'You will hear me out!' He moved closer still. 'I…' He looked down at her lips, then back to her eyes. 'I was wrong to have said what I did.'

'Which part? When you dishonoured my family or when you called me a whore?' She said not backing down. Her heart was pounding in her chest; he had a profound effect on her.

'Both, all…I should not have said any of it. I know you are just being kind to my nephews, I see the way they look at you, Killi especially. I just…' He started. 'I don't want them distracted; dangerous things can happen when your mind isn't where it should be.'

She looked into his eyes, for the first time seeing softness there she never knew he had. He cared for his nephews deeply, he was protecting them.

'I see, I will try not to distract them.' She said as he backed off realising how close he was to her, so close he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. 'Thorin?' she said, he looked at her, his face filled with something she didn't recognise. 'I'm not your enemy.'

Inside the hoard they found swords, gold and jewels. The latter of which was buried where they would find it if they ever returned.

'Someone is coming!' Thorin shouted placing a hand on Onya's waist pulling her behind him.

They closed ranks around her swords drawn, the thundering coming closer and closer to them.

'Thieves! Fire! Murder!' A voice shouted, bursted through the undergrowth being pulled by giant rabbits.

'It's Radaghast the brown!' Gandalf shouted.

They put away their swords, looking at each other a little bemused as Gandalf approached the brown wizard.

'What are you doing here?'

'Gandalf, something is wrong something is terribly wrong!' Killi elbowed Onya, making a face at the bird mess dried into the wizards hair.

'Yes?' Gandalf replied.

Thorin approached the other dwarves and Onya, calling them to one side.

'We need to check on the ponies, Killi and Filli if you can manage that, Boufur take two others and make sure everything we need is in the packs and ready to go. Onya, can you help me fill the water canisters up.' Onya nodded, catching the not so subtle looks shared by the other dwarves. The stream was a short walk from where the wizards were talking and it was a walk in awkward silence.

Reaching down and submerging the bottles, one at a time, she was careful to avoid Thorin's gaze. He rolled his sleeve and put his hand into the water pulling out a shiny pebble, he looked over it, rubbing his thumb over it. Onya looked up at him curiously, his eyes shining with the light from the sun reflecting onto the small pebble.

'That's a tigers eye.' She said, moving to him. 'See how the black and browny/orange are in stripes, like that of a tiger.'

'You seem to know a lot about pebbles.' She looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes searching his for a sign of him mocking her, but he wasn't.

'tigers eyes are for protection, like a lucky charm.' She leaned up to him, stroking the pebble. He caught her hand before she could withdraw it.

'Then let it protect you.' He pulled softly on the chain around her neck, bringing the warm metal up from inside her top. He fastened a small metal coil around the pebble and then attached it to her chain. She held his hand as he went to pull away.

'Thank you.' She squeezed his fingers softly, not leaving his gaze. Her heart was pounding at their closeness, the feel of his course skin on hers, leaving a tingling trace on her nerves.

A loud roar broke their concentration, both pulling out their swords heading back to the group.

Thorin ran ahead pounding his sword into the head of a warg as another came from behind. Killi shot an arrow shooting it to the ground, Onya drove her sword into its head. Thorin nodded in thanks.

'Warg scouts, which means an orc pack is not far behind!' Thorin said, his face hard.

'Who did you tell about your quest, who did you tell!' Gandalf shouted.

'No-one' Thorin replied.

'Who did you tell?'

'No-one I swear! What in Durins name is going on?'

'You are being hunted!' Gandalf said.

'We have to get out of here.' Onya said wiping the blood from her sword.

'We can't we have no ponies, they've bolted!'

'I'll draw them off!' Radaghast shouted.

'These are Gutibag Wargs they will out run you!' Gandalf answered.

'These are rustibell rabbits, I'd like to see them try.' With that Radaghast was away, Gandalf turned to the dwarves.

'Follow me!'

They ran hard and fast, between rock, avoiding the path that Radaghast had taken, Killi not leaving Onya's side his bow loaded and ready. Gandalf stopped them behind a rock as they heard the thundering steps of a lone Orc. Thorin signalled for Killi to fire an arrow.

'No.' Onya whispered, putting a hand on the young dwarfs arm. Thorins face furious he nodded again to Killi.

Killi stepped out shooting an arrow into the Wargs leg causing him to fall with the Orc to the Orc shrieked as Onya and the dwarves all stabbed and cut into it, and its Warg. But was too late, the alarm was raised and the others approached at speed.

They ran as fast as they could, stopping only when they could go no further.

'Killi! Shoot them!' Thorin shouted, taking Onya's hand a willing her back with him.

He stopped in his tracks as he saw the Wargs coming across the hill, they were surrounded.

'Hold your ground!' He shouted, back to back with Onya, both with swords ready. Gandalf appreared from behind a rock.

'This way you fools!'

Everyone ran towards where Gandalf had appeared. Thorin stopped and turned to his men, Onya stopped once she realised he had released her hand.

'Quickly! All of you!' He shouted as one by one they jumped down into the hole. 'Killi run!'

Onya took the bow from Filli covering Killi as he ran towards the hole, jumping down as soon as he reached it. Thorin took Onya's arm and pulled her down with him, both of them landing tangled together. They all waiting silently, as a horn sounded from outside, the sound of arrows being fired and hitting their target making their stomachs churn. A dead Orc fell down the hole, an arrow sticking out from its blooded neck. Thorin moved forward and pulled the arrow out looking at it closely.

'Elves!' He said throwing it down in distain.

They followed the pathway to a clearing, each one holding their breath as they looked upon the house of the elves, Rivendell.