~I only own my Ocs and the chaos they might end up causing Please Review or tell Pm me with ideas. This story is long overdue for a fixer upper. I am still looking for a beta. If anyone would want to volunteer that would be great! Just leave me a comment or PM me saying so. ~

(no one's Pov)

After Fili and Kili had rode up behind Bilbo, picked him up by his jacket and placed him on the pony he was to ride, and Ted had signed his contract, the group started moving again. Seeing the burglar looking very uncomfortable on his little steed Rose fell back from where she had been riding by Balin and Ori to give poor Bilbo some advice.

"You will be more comfortable if you hold the reins like this," She showed him how she was holding her reins, "and don't hold them so tight. Myrtle here won't run off on you. Your pony will be more relaxed if you are."

While the two had been talking little pouches of money started flying. Gandalf came riding up beside them.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked

"They took wages on wither or not you and Ted would turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't" Gandalf explained

"And what did you two think?"

Instead of answering Gandalf caught the bag of money that had been thrown to him. "My dear fellow I never doubted you for a second."

"Neither did me and my friends, however there were doubts from Ashley and Sam that Ted would come with you. I think I will go collect from those that owe me." With that she left the wizard and the hobbit and rode first to her fellow girls then to several of the dwarves, stopping at Thorin.

%000%000% over by Thorin and Rose %000%000%

"How did you know they would follow? You already had faith in the hobbit I know, but why your cousin. You have pretty much made it clear you hate him."

"I have no faith in him that much is true, but no I do not hate him. When your relations make a fool you themselves, and therefore you, do u hate them? No. You become disappointed in them. Yes in age I am young but in mind and soul I am old. I know the past of these shores and lands yet I have never lived here. I know who everyone in this company is. When I say that I do not mean their names. I know THEM, who they are when they are alone, what their personality is, what their pasts are. I know that Gloin has a wife and son waiting for him to come home, and that his son, Gimli, will end up playing a huge role in the fate of middle earth. Your nephews wanted you to let Gimli come with. Just as Fili begged you to let Kili come with, so they both begged that you would let Gimli come with as well. Those three have often gotten themselves into trouble and often made you mad at them. But you allows end up forgiving them. They are your family. And you can't give up on family, no matter what they do." During Rose's speech Thorin thought that she would be very helpful in the long run. She was wise yes but does not wisdom come with age?

"These words of wisdom are not the first you have given to me. You say you are young. How young are you?"

"A man must never ask a woman her age. But I will tell you anyways. I am twenty two. I am of age by human standards, but according to any other race I am but a child. You Thorin are roughly 190. Yes? And are your two nephews not ages 82 for Fili and 77 for Kili?"

"I am 195. How do u know this? And how do u know the ages of my nephews?"

"Does it matter? I was using the ages of you and your kin to make a point. Fili and Kili are also considering young but of age."

%000%000%~ back by Gandalf and Bilbo at the same time that Rose and Thorin were talking %000%000%

Bilbo sneezed, "Acchoo! Ugh horrid horse hair. I'm having a reaction. Wait, wait Stop. We have to turn around."

"My dear fellow whatever on earth is a matter?"

"I forgot my handkerchief."

"Here use this." Bofur said tearing off a bit of something and throwing it to Bilbo

"You will have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs and a good many Bilbo Baggins other things before the journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the shire. Those are now behind you. The world is ahead."

Ashley came and gave Bilbo the hankies that Rose told her to grab for Bilbo, "Here you go Mr. Baggins I believe these are yours. Rose knew you would be coming along and thought that you might forget these in your haste." with that she rode back to Sami who was talking with Dwalin and Gloin.

(Thorin's POV)

'How does she know so much? How is it that she knows what others, myself including, do not? I am sure that Gloin has not even mentioned his son to these humans. So how does she know of Gimli? None but Fili, Kili, Gloin and I knew of the lad's request. I will have to ask her later when the company has stopped for the night.' Thorin thought to himself as he rode alone at the head of the company. Seeing that the sun was starting to set he called out.

"Dwalin go scout ahead and take Samantha with you. Try and find a good place to stop for the night it will be dark soon."

As the two rode ahead to look for a safe resting place, the dwarf king looked back towards his companions. Fili was flirting with Ashley though she seemed not to notice. Ori and Balin were discussing something with Rose who had fallen back to ride with them a while ago. Gloin and Nori were sulking over the large amount of gold he had lost to the human girl earlier. Bilbo was still talking with the wizard. The rest of them were either talking to each other or brooding on something. The amount of gold and silver Rose and gotten was rather impressive. 20 gold and 73 silver, normally the only one who would be making that kind of money was Nori, though most of his money was made through thievery. Soon Sami and Dwalin and come back and told Thorin of a nearby ledge that would work for the night's campsite. The two looked as though something had happened, but when questioned they said that nothing significant had happened.

%000%000% time skip%000%000%
%000%000% later after most of the company had gone to sleep %000%000%

Rose sat awake listening to Ashley talking with Fili and Kili, and Bombur's snoring. She looked over at Bilbo when he got up and went to feed his pony an apple. She heard as Bilbo talked softly to the little mare. She stood up and moved closer to the fire at the unnatural sound that an orc in the distance had made.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked rather alarmed.

"Orcs." Kili answered quietly looking around. When Bilbo repeated the statement and restated a little louder it as a question, Thorin woke and sat up. He had not fallen deeply asleep and was easily woken.

"Throat cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili started

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone is asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams just lots of blood." Kili finished for his brother. When Bilbo looked away Kili grinned at Fili and the girl that had been sitting next to him.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin asked with a scowl on his face

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said looking ashamed and casting his eyes towards the ground

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin said coldly with venom in his voice and walked away towards the edge to the cliff.

"Don't mind Thorin laddie, he has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race, 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."

Rose walked over to Thorin while Balin told his tale, when she was standing just a little ways behind the dwarf she spoke to him. Even if he was off in his own world perhaps remembering that battle she knew that at least some of what she said would make it into his mind. "Thorin it does not do to dwell in the past and forget to live, or to let the past affect you so much that it changes or changed you. The past cannot be changed, and the future has not yet been written, but today is what you make of it, it is a gift that is why it is called the present." With that she walked away leaving him to his thoughts.

"He went missing. Captured or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless death and defeat were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young dwarf prince facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, nor song that night. For the count of our dead was beyond grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself there is one I could follow, there is one I could call King." By the time Balin finished almost everyone who had been sleeping now stood and was looking at Thorin, even the few dwarves that had been there that day.

"And the pale orc, what happened to him?" Bilbo asked

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin said walking back to where he had been sleeping. As he did so Balin and Gandalf shared a look that was missed by everyone except the girls. Rose and Sami knew, just as Balin and Gandalf did, that the pale orc still lived. Ashley guessed as much.