Before the crack of dawn, Beth could hear hushed shuffling echoing around the hobbit hole. Being a light sleeper, she got up, slipping on her robe to peer out. The dwarves were packing up and cleaning (much to her surprise and pleasure), unaware of her seeing them. She spotted Gandalf near the front door and snuck over to him.
"They're not waiting for us," she stated, startling the wizard.
Gandalf turned and couldn't help but smile at the girl's sneakiness. "Bilbo told us that you two had no interest in joining this quest."
Beth frowned and looked up to Gandalf, pure determination etched onto her face. "I promise you we'll come. I can convince him."
Gandalf nodded, quite believing the little lady and handed her the contract. "Make sure you've both signed."
Beth nodded and shot off to pack and dress and figure out just how she was going to convince Bilbo to come along. She found her brown slacks for when she would help Bilbo in his garden as well as a light cotton shirt and a sturdy green vest with splendid silver buttons.
She threw a small amount of extra clothing into her pack as well as a few very basic hygiene products and ran off to pack Bilbo's bag for him as well. Before long (but after the dwarves had left) Beth had both packs with provisions set out in the sitting room with the contract laid out on display in plain sight with her signature already on it.
She then proceeded to make a small breakfast for the two using what little the dwarves had left and what was left from packing. Thinking on it as she cooked, it was likely a good thing the dwarves had used up all the food before they left for such a long journey.
Soon after, Bilbo was roused from his sleep by the smell of cooking and stumbled out of his bedroom. He found Beth sitting at the table chewing on some toast in a perfectly clean house. Then, in the corner of his eye he saw the set-up she left him in the sitting room.
"It's a real shame they didn't come along," lamented Kili. "The girl was very pretty."
Fili laughed at his little brother's comment. "Aye, I think that's something we can all agree on. A woman with sunlight in her hair, an ocean in her eyes, and great, big—"
"Have some respect," Thorin cut off his nephew, before turning back to the front.
The brothers smiled slyly at each other. "I think Uncle liked her," snickered Kili.
"Wait! Wait!" cried a voice from behind them. The company was halted and turned to see the two hobbits sprinting after them and all out of breath. Bilbo was waving the contract in the air as Beth was holding her sides, nursing her stitches from running.
"We signed it," Bilbo said, looking pleased with himself.
Balin took the contract and examined it before smiling and announcing, "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome Bilbo and Beth, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."
"Give them a pony," Grunted Thorin.
"No, no, no, no, that won't be necessary," Bilbo began to protest. "Thank you, but I—I'm sure I can keep up on foot. I—I—I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know. I even got as far as Frogmorton once—" and then he squawked as the Durin brothers lifted him into the air by his coat and onto his pony. Beth started laughing at him until she too was hoisted up into the air to be seated behind Bilbo and let out and indignant yelp.
The dwarves had a chuckle at the hobbits' expense as both of them looked rather uncomfortable on the pony. With Bilbo holding the reigns like they might turn into snakes at any given moment and Beth sliding back and forth trying to sit straight, the pair made quite the comedic sight.
"Come on Nori, pay up! Go on," called Oin.
Suddenly pouches were being tossed between the dwarves, some of them visibly happier than others.
Bilbo turned to Gandalf to ask, "What's that about?"
"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you two would turn up," Explained Gandalf. "Most of them bet that you wouldn't."
"What did you think?"
Gandalf made a show of hesitating before reaching up to catch his own winnings. Then with a kindly smile he told him, "Bilbo, I never doubted you for a second. That and your sister vowed to me that she could convince you. She seems like the type to hold true to her promises."
"Which would explain the clever little set-up she presented me in the morning. Well done, Beth, you played me like a fiddle," grumbled Bilbo before he let out a sneeze. He rifled through his pockets before a look of panic worked its way onto his face. "No, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around!"
"What on Earth is the matter?" questioned Gandalf.
"I forgot my handkerchief!"
Beth sighed, "You are such a girl sometimes." At this, everyone within earshot started howling with laughter. "It's in your pack. Front right pocket."
Thorin grunted, but almost seemed as amused as the rest of the company. "Move on," he demanded.
Bilbo asked over his shoulder to Beth, "Do you think of everything?"
"Only most of the time," she joked.
The first night they stopped to make camp in a clearing that provided some shelter. Without being asked, Beth got to work on starting a cook-fire, and having one going before everyone was really settled. She then set up a spot for herself closer to the tree line, but not too far away from the fire. She didn't want to admit it, but Beth was a little anxious about being out in the wild with no knowledge of animals or potential threats. No one commented except for a few to give words of thanks.
And she found that's just how it was the first few days of travel. The dwarves rarely spoke to her or Bilbo so they mostly kept to themselves. It was still a few more days of travel yet until they became more accepted.
A howl woke her from her sleep, though she did not stir immediately. She could hear Bilbo asking in a frightened tone what had made the sound.
"Orcs," responded Kili.
"Orcs?" Bilbo squeaked.
"Throat cutters," told Fili. "Ther'll be dozens out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."
"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood," finished Kili.
Beth could only imagine how scared Bilbo was as she herself could hear her heart pounding in her ears. That is, until the brother started giggling.
"Assholes," she muttered, rolling over on her pallet.
"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" scolded Thorin.
"We didn't mean anything by it," Kili tried to defend.
"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world."
"Don't mind him, laddie," comforted Balin. "Thorin has more reason than most to hate orcs."
Balin dove into the tale of how Thorin lost his grandfather to the pale orc in the battle for Moria. Beth couldn't help but join the dwarves as they stared at Thorin with reverence as Balin concluded the tale with his declaration of loyalty to his king. He looked all for royalty as he stood, brooding and staring off into the night.
Beth sat up and stretched as the others settled back in, deciding she would not be able to get back to sleep until her heart rate lowered once more. She threw her blanket over a shivering Bilbo and proceeded to scan the camp. The only other awake was Thorin, brooding just where they left him.
Deciding she ought to try being on better terms with their leader, Beth made her way over and sat on the rock Thorin was standing beside. After all, they couldn't continue in silence forever. She curled her legs into herself, although he didn't acknowledge her until she said, "Thank you."
He hesitated a moment before taking the bait. "What for?"
"Letting me come," she answered plainly. "I just…know how it is to lose your home."
He again paused for a moment before answering, as though carefully weighing his words. "I am beginning to think we should have let you come instead of your brother."
Beth laughed quietly and turned to look at him, only to meet his gaze. He really and truly was hansom, she thought. Despite how grumpy he could be. "He'll surprise you," she assured with a smile. Her eyes left his to stare off into the horizon and they stayed that way in companionable silence until the sun began to make its appearance in the east.
In the few days following that they had been travelling, Beth had managed to charm every single dwarf in the company. Deciding she had had enough of the dour travelling, Beth set forth to make friends of her travelling companions whether they expected it or not. She even attempted to engage Bifur until she was told that the axe in his head indeed did have a side-effect and that he could only speak Kazuhl, although she was assured that he could understand her. She managed to gain Dwalin's respect the night she snatched a dagger Fili was playing with and threw it so it lodged into a tree.
But on this day of traveling in particular, from the very moment they woke up, it had started raining. And it didn't stop. It only rained harder. So when they found a small abandoned cottage, it seemed like a God-send. That is, until Gandalf protested against staying. And Gandalf's reluctance set Beth very much on edge herself.
"Everything alright?" asked Bilbo. "Gandalf, where are you going?"
"To seek the company of the only one around here that's got any sense."
"Who's that?"
"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day."
Beth opened her mouth to protest but found the wizard too far away to hear her already. Her stomach sank. This could only end badly. Beth's eyes kept darting around camp as they set up their usual layout. She even wanted to protest when they sent Bilbo off to bring stew to Fili and Kili.
And then, just as she had rationalized everything enough to calm down, Fili and Kili burst through the bush to exclaim, "Trolls!"
Beth's heart dropped into her stomach as everyone else sprang up to grab their weapons. This was one of those worst-case-scenarios that her brain would come up with that she would have to tell herself wasn't going to happen and that she was just being irrational. Except it was happening. And Bilbo did not come back with Fili and Kili. Coming back to her senses, she was about to stand up and join them when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.
Looking up, she saw Thorin looking no more worried than he usually did. "Stay and watch the camp."
Beth nodded dumbly and watched them run off into the bush and right into the arms of danger. It took all of thirty seconds after the last dwarf left her sight for her to take off running in the other direction, praying to any and every god that Gandalf hadn't gotten too far and that he was not still so upset he wouldn't come to their aid.
Her lungs were burning by the time she saw the light of his small camp fire and would have cheered if she could do that and run at the same time. She picked up her pace even more and started hollering Gandalf's name, desperately trying to get his attention. Gandalf did in fact see her and stood to stop her mid-sprint. "My dear, whatever is the matter?" he asked.
"Trolls," she gasped. "They left Bilbo with the trolls and told me to stay behind. Gandalf, help."
Not one to waste time, Gandalf whistled for his horse and smothered the fire. He then, without warning grabbed Beth and hoisted her up to sit on the back of the saddle before mounting himself.
"Hold on," he cautioned.
If the situation had been different, say Gandalf was coming to visit their lovely (safe) home in the Shire and this was a (leisurely) gallop through the fields Beth could imagine enjoying the ride very much. She secretly compared it to riding on the back of a motor cycle, even though this was a decidedly bumpier ride.
When Gandalf deemed they were close enough he jumped off the horse and pulled her down swiftly. In a firm voice he said, "Stay here."
Again, she waited for a grand total of thirty seconds of solitude before sprinting off in the direction she had seen the dwarves go earlier. As soon as she could see the flickering light of a fire through the trees she skidded to a halt and quietly crept towards the light. She almost started when she heard Bilbo shout, "Not—not that one! He—he's infected!"
Beth resisted the urge to snort and roll her eyes. Really, Bilbo? Worms in his tubes? She crept closer until she spotted a pile of the weapons the dwarves were carrying…and then the pile of dwarves. At that point she was pretty glad no one had spotted her yet because she was sure the look of confusion and amusement on her face was priceless.
While the dwarves were yelling in offence about their lack of worms (she decided it would be something to giggle about later) she had managed to skirt around the camp unseen and grabbed a couple daggers. She glanced back to the pile of dwarves to find Thorin staring right at her. She pressed a finger to her lips and disappeared again into the shadows of the trees. The closest dwarf to her hiding spot was Nori. She clasped a hand over his mouth to quietly get his attention and when he noticed it was her, he relaxed and nodded. But even before she could saw through the first rope she was startled by a cry of, "I've got parasites as big as my arm!"
Beth hit the floor, praying that the trolls didn't have very good eye sight and that no attention had been attracted to her. This game of hide and seek was getting more dangerous and Beth briefly considered leaving and just letting Gandalf do all the work. But just as quickly as the protesting began, all the dwarves were calling out their claims of the biggest and most plentiful parasites. Beth would have laughed if she wasn't so terrified. She managed to free Nori of his bindings just as Gandalf made his appearance.
"The dawn will take you all!"
"Who's that?"
"No idea."
"Can we eat 'im too?"
Then with a mighty hit from his staff, the boulder split in half and right before their eyes the trolls writhed in agony for a few seconds before turning to stone. There was a moment of relieved silence before Beth called out, "Took you long enough!"
Gandalf smiled and with that same odd (almost alarming) twinkle in his eye said, "I thought I told you to stay."
"I thought I said the same thing," grumbled Thorin from his spot in the pile.
Beth made her way over to him and cut him loose from his (gross, smelly) sack. She then promptly handed him the knife and without breaking eye contact stated, "I'm not a dog. I do not stay."