I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius,this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.

Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J

They wound their way through the valley, climbing up and down small hills and winding through copses of short pines, their growth stunted by their elevation. The cool breeze blew through the tall grasses and wildflowers at their feet, making the grasses move in waves. The warm sun overhead shone on the summer growth, causing the bright wildflowers to appear very vibrant.

Yet, Kili's thoughts weren't on wildflowers, or grasses, or warm sun, but rather on the owner of the grey cloak fluttering in the slight breeze ahead of him. He couldn't help but see how the sun made her hair shine, despite the obvious tangles and dirt from travel. Despite knowing her a little better than he had in Rivendell, when she had been a complete stranger, he still found that she held a great deal of mystery and intrigue to him.

He found himself wondering why she seemed to be devoid of the usual prejudices that surrounded dwarves in Middle-earth. Even Bilbo at their first meeting had been appalled at the dwarves, thinking them to be mindless, uncourteous and rude heathens.

Well, given that we DID barge into his home, apparently uninvited, and helped ourselves to his food, ale, and bathroom, maybe his thoughts had some merit, the young dwarf thought with a small smile. Of course, we DID do him a favor-imagine him returning to his home after the quest is over to all that spoiled food!

Humming absentmindedly, he untied his bow from where he carried it on his back, and drew an arrow, dangling it loosely in his hand.

If there were any meat to be found, he would make sure it turned into a delicious fire-roasted supper.

XXX

Cirashala breathed deeply of the mountain air, her altitude sickness of the previous days finally beginning to dissipate. She noticed that she wasn't huffing as much as she had been previously, even though her body still ached considerably. She also noticed that she was using the pain tea less, now only taking it in the morning and at night.

What she really longed for above all else at the moment, however, was a hot bath. If she were honest with herself, she would even welcome a cold one-just as long as she could get the orc blood, dirt and sweat residue off her body. She knew that Lord Elrond had packed soap for her, and while she herself wasn't fond of the smell of roses either (she had heard a few mentions about the dwarves unwelcome experience with the elvish scent in passing) she was beginning to feel quite clammy.

She was also beginning to stink, and in all honesty, though she would never say it to the dwarves outright, so were they. Despite missing the security of Fili and Kili's presence the night before, a small part of her had been relieved that she didn't need to sleep next to them, their growing aroma beginning to make her realize just exactly why Bilbo had mentioned them needing more than sage in their encounter with the trolls.

It is a fact of life, I suppose, she thought to herself as she walked. But it doesn't mean it has to be pleasant.

As the sun began to wane, she could see a slightly larger copse of trees ahead, and her eyes widened when she saw the light of the setting sun glinting off what appeared to be a mountain stream flowing out from it. She dearly hoped that was where they planned on camping for the night, because at the moment her only thoughts were to do something about the stench permeating her nostrils.

In all honesty, she was quite surprised that an orc hadn't smelled them out from miles away by now.

XXX

Thorin spotted the copse of trees, noting the clear stream and the boulders that would aid in providing shelter as well, and called a halt when the company reached it. They began to set up camp as normal, when Thorin spoke.

"Oin, Gloin, let Cirashala get the fire going," he instructed, earning surprised looks from the two dwarves in question, as well as from the female in question, who had been about to help Fili and Kili gather wood for said fire.

"B-but, Thorin," Gloin sputtered, looking unimpressed as he glanced toward the young woman, "Shouldn't we get a fire going sooner rather than later? I am sure we are all hungry." There were several murmurs of agreement amongst the company, and several of the dwarves cast questionable glances in the young female's direction. Thorin's eyebrow raised, and he crossed his arms.

"Fili and Kili have asked for permission to train her," Thorin replied, glaring at Gloin for daring to question his orders. "And as such, she will begin by proving that she can handle a simple task such as starting a fire. If she cannot succeed with their help, then the responsibility falls on their shoulders." He cast a pointed look at the two brothers, who glanced uncertainly between each other, before nodding to Thorin.

"I suggest you do not question my orders, Gloin," Thorin finished, looking pointedly at his distant cousin. Gloin nodded, grumbling under his breath. Cirashala gulped a bit as she felt several eyes boring into her, but tried to show that the intimidation had not gotten to her.

She immediately rifled through her pack, pulling out the tinder and flint and steel that Lord Elrond had given her. She set it by the site she deemed suitable for the fire, noting that the wind wasn't blowing too heavily, and that the boulders near them would also shelter the light from being overly visible. She used her hands to scrape all the pine needles out of the area, clearing the space. Fili crouched down beside her and looked at her, Kili standing next to him.

"Are you sure you know how to do this, or will you need aid?" the elder asked quietly. She looked him in the eye.

"I have built fires before, Fili," she replied, hoping that her nervousness didn't show. "I can manage." He nodded in approval and stood up, he and his brother watching as well. She spotted some stones near the base of the boulders, and one by one hauled them over to the fire site, placing them in a circle. Fili and Kili had set the wood they gathered from the small copse next to the site, and she went over to the trees and gathered some pinecones as well, knowing they burn easily.

She returned to the fire pit, and placed a small pile of tinder in the center. She added some dry pine needles to the top, and took the flint in her right hand. She leaned over the small pile, striking the flint rapidly with the steel, eliciting sparks. For a tense minute, the dwarves watched as the sparks didn't catch, and she moved her flint and steel closer to it.

She struck it rapidly again, and suddenly a slight wisp of smoke began to rise from the pile. She set the flint and steel next to her, and brought her head down next to the smoking tinder. She blew on it softly, cupping her hand on the other side, and a tiny flame arose from the pile of tinder. She added a pinecone to it, then another, each lighting quickly, and the young heirs grinned.

She added the branches to the fire, small ones first, then larger ones on top, making sure to evenly space them around the growing flame, stacking them in a sort of cone shape so the ends wouldn't burn as quickly. As the flame began to light up the rocks, several of the dwarves smiled at each other and the young woman, and a few let out relieved sighs.

She stood up, brushing off her knees, and looked to Thorin, who nodded slightly. Bombur shot a huge grin her way, before hustling to his pack to begin preparing supper. Kili had managed to hit a deer, and Bombur had just started skinning and dressing it, when the heirs approached Cirashala. She looked up from her bedroll at the two as they strode up, and they both crossed their arms. Fili glanced at her weapons, then back at her.

"Training time."

XXX

They led her to a small clearing within the copse of trees, still in full view of the campsite, but out of the way of their companions. Cirashala had strapped her sword to her side, and her quiver to her back. She had a feeling this training session would be with her sword, not her bow, given that the sun was steadily going down and they would be with only firelight soon enough.

Best learn how to wield my sword with my quiver on, she thought to herself. Since it will likely be on me should we come across orcs anyway.

Fili whispered something to Kili, and the younger nodded, pointing toward a small boulder about ten yards away. Fili nodded, and walked over to the boulder, placing 10 pinecones along the top of it. She looked at the elder, before looking at Kili. The younger was watching his brother, instructing him to adjust a few of the pinecones, before turning toward her, a serious look on his face.

So it's to be archery first, then.

She was a bit surprised, but trusted them to know what they were doing. After all, they were very well trained warriors, while she had merely been self taught and highly inexperienced. She would have thought they would do sword first, but then reasoned that they probably wished her to be as far away from immediate fighting as possible.

She approached Kili and stood next to him, attentiveness in her gaze. She did not reach for her weapons, because she had not been told to, resolving to listen carefully and follow directions. The young dwarf looked at her, and she could see the clear transition to "trainer" in his expression.

Fili returned to stand behind them out of the way, leaning against a boulder with his arms crossed in front of him to watch. Kili cleared his throat.

"I would begin by telling you a history of the bow, and you would normally learn how to make your own before you would begin to train," he began, "But, as we do not have a lot of light left for shooting, and since you need to learn to wield you weapons quickly, I will find time to explain such things later." She nodded, not speaking.

Fili rolled his eyes. Leave it to his younger brother to be impatient and get right down to the heart of the matter. Though he was passionate about his bow, he had been incredibly impatient to get out on the archery range, and as such his first bow was sloppy work in his haste. Thorin had insisted that, if he were to choose this weapon, he would first have to make one that would not harm himself or others during its use, and Kili's impatience had unfortunately led to him being even further delayed as he had lost valuable time in creating a worthy and safe weapon. He looked up as Kili continued.

"The bow is used for hunting, but can also be a valuable weapon in battle," he said. "It has a longer range than other distance weapons, and can strike your enemies and thin their numbers before they reach you, and you are forced to use your alternate weapon. It is also good for stealth, should one wish to elude discovery." He looked at her.

"Draw your bow," he instructed, and she reached behind her, feeling for the ties that bound it to her quiver. Thankfully she had seen how Kili had tied his bow to his quiver after the orc incident in order to collect wood, and had readjusted hers accordingly. She untied it and brought it around, and looked at him for direction.

"I want you to show me your shooting stance," he instructed. "Just draw it back-no need to have an arrow on it at this time." She nodded, and looked at the pinecones, assuming them to be her "quarry". She planted her feet just a tiny bit wider than shoulder width, and drew the string back until it was just touching the corner of her mouth.

"Now release," Kili commanded, and she let the string go, not lowering it until a few counts after "shooting". He nodded, humming to himself. She turned toward him, a question in her blue eyes.

"Not bad," he said, "Especially since you taught yourself, but you need to fix your stance. You likely would have shot above and a little off to the side of the pinecones, rather than hitting them." She nodded.

"How can you tell?" she asked, and he gestured toward her feet.

"Your feet are too far apart," he replied. "They need to be shoulder width apart." She adjusted her feet accordingly, and he nodded in approval.

"Make sure your left foot is even with your target and your right foot," he said. She adjusted her feet, and he frowned, shaking his head.

"Not quite," he said, moving behind her. He bent down, gently grasping her ankle. She adjusted her balance accordingly, shifting her weight to the foot he didn't hold so she could adjust her foot position. He stood up behind her.

"Draw an arrow," he said quietly. She reached back, feeling for an arrow, and nocked it on the string, with the arrow still pointed at the ground, then raised her bow and drew it until the fletching just grazed the corner of her mouth.

"Lower your right elbow," he said, and she complied. He quietly sighed.

She jumped slightly as he moved in behind her, nudging her right arm down just a bit with his right hand. He reached up with his left, covering her hand with his, and adjusted her bow to tilt toward the right ever so slightly.

"You have to tilt the bow just a bit to keep the arrow on course," he whispered behind her, and she nodded. Letting go, he stood back.

"Aim for the first pinecone on the right," he instructed, and she turned her body slightly.

"Release," he said softly, and she loosed the arrow. It flew to the right of the pinecone, and she could hear it land in the grass beyond the boulder. She lowered her bow and sighed, ducking her head slightly.

"Sorry," she mumbled, only to hear Fili chuckle slightly.

"Didn't look too bad to me," he said. "Much better than Kili's first day of training." Kili made a low noise of warning in his throat, and she turned, seeing the younger dwarf glare daggers at his smirking elder brother.

"Never mind my first day," he muttered, before looking at Cirashala again. "There is a slight breeze coming from the west," he said, "and it threw your arrow off course slightly. You have to adjust just a little more toward the wind, to compensate. Had you done so, you might have hit the pinecone." She nodded.

"How will I know how much to adjust?" she asked. Kili glanced at the pinecones, then back at her.

"It takes practice, and trying until you find what works best," he said. "Go ahead and try to hit the rest of the pinecones. I know you probably won't hit them all, but just try to not hit the boulder at least. Not the best for the arrowheads, but it was the best target I could come up with, all things considered." She nodded, and began to shoot at will.

She managed to hit four of the pinecones, which in turn knocked several of the others next to them in the dust (hearing Kili behind her inform Fili to set the pinecones further apart next time to avoid it), hit the boulder twice with a wince, and sent the remaining four arrows into the grass beyond the boulder.

Kili stood next to his brother, both making sure to stay well out of range of stray arrows, until she was done and lowered her bow. Kili hummed, and she looked back at him. He nodded to her, and she could tell he was pleased with how the lesson had gone by the expression on his face.

"Why do you seem pleased?" she asked. "I didn't hit very many of the pinecones, and I hit the boulder twice after you told me not to." She looked at him in confusion, and he chuckled slightly.

"You actually did quite well, for your first lesson," he said. "But if you aren't hitting at least 8 of them at twice the distance they are now by the time we reach Erebor, then I might be concerned." He smiled at her, before glancing to Fili. The two shared a look, and nodded. Kili turned back toward her.

"I will go with you to fetch your arrows, then you will show Fili what you can do with that sword of yours," he said, and she nodded.

"Why do you have to come with me?" she asked. "They can't have gone that far." The two sighed, and Kili looked at her with a serious expression.

"Because you should not wander far from camp," he said. "It isn't safe." She took a deep breath, and released it, nodding. She picked up the arrows that were still within sight, before Kili joined her, and the two walked past the boulder in the waning light to hunt down the stray arrows.

I swear, I feel like these dwarves are all but babysitting me, she thought to herself in slight frustration as she glanced at Kili out of the corner of her eye. But, I suppose that, if there are indeed orcs out there, better to be safe than sorry.

XXX

The hunt did not take long. Kili, being an experienced enough archer to have a good idea of where the arrows had gone, was able to aid her in locating them quickly. She dusted the dirt and grass off of them, before placing them back in her quiver. Kili had his bow out and an arrow knocked, but did not draw, only wishing to be ready should something surprise them. As she dusted her arrows off, he kept scanning the area around.

The sun had set behind the mountain they had just crossed over, and while there was still a warm red glow on the top of the mountain peak to the east, where they were at had fallen into shadow. They could still see, but it was definitely darker than it had been.

The last arrow had caught in the boughs near the top of one of the trees, nearly twelve feet off the ground. They looked up at it, then at each other. Kili opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, she held up her hand.

"I can climb, it is near the top where there are thinner branches, and I am lighter than you," she said. He looked at her for a moment as though he wished to argue, but then shut it and nodded his head slightly, conceding the point.

"Be careful, and leave your quiver down here," he said. "The branches may be thin, but the needles are thick and close together, and I don't want your quiver to get stuck." She nodded, taking her quiver off and setting it against the trunk of the tree. She eyed where the arrow was, then stretched out her arms.

She grabbed a hold of one of the branches about three feet above the ground, hoisting herself upon it. As her right foot found its perch, she reached up above her to grasp another branch, steadying herself. She began the short yet seemingly long climb up the tree, having to worm her way around thin branches thickly clustered with pine needles. Her hair caught a few times, and then she tucked the 14 inch long braid in her tunic, solving that problem.

The branches beneath her feet began to bow slightly as she stepped, and her jaw tightened. She glanced at the ground, then back up where the arrow sat, entangled in the pine needles about six inches above her.

She slowly stepped onto the next branch above, as close to the tree as she could. She reached up to grab the arrow, but just as she could feel the fletching in her grasp, the branch beneath her gave way.

"Kili!" she cried as her feet slipped off the branch.

The arrow tumbled out of the branch, following its owner as she crashed through branches and careened toward the ground, a strangled cry emitting from her lips as her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

XXX

As soon as he heard the strangled cry, Kili threw down his bow and held up his arms. He barely had enough time to look up before she crashed into him, sending the two of them down on the ground in a heap.

They laid there for a few minutes, breathing hard. The young dwarf had landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him, Cirashala's face buried in his shoulder. He could feel her trembling, his arms wrapped around her shoulders as hers squeezed his. He gasped for air, and she shifted so she was looking down at him. He suddenly seemed to lose the ability to breathe altogether, his eyes widening as he realized her face was only about six inches from his.

"A-are you all right?" she asked him. His cheeks flamed in embarrassment, and he was thankful that it was quickly getting dark. He closed his eyes tightly.

"A-aye," he whispered, swallowing. "C-could you, w-would you mind getting off me?" Her eyes widened, and she hurried to scramble off of him. Her knee came down in a rather sensitive place in her hurry, eliciting a loud gasp from Kili, followed by a groan. She stood up, eyes widening as he curled in on himself.

"S-s-sorry!" she stammered, biting her lip as her own cheeks flushing in embarrassment as she looked anywhere exceptthe young dwarf.

"'s all right," he gasped. He sucked in a couple of deep breaths, letting them out slowly, before crawling to his feet. He placed a hand next to the tree trunk, taking a couple more deep breaths and letting them out slowly. Seeing movement off to the side, he glanced over. Cirashala held his bow out to him, having already donned her quiver. He took it, nodding slightly as he eyed her with concern.

"A-are you all right?" he asked quietly. She nodded.

"A few bruises and scratches," she said, remembering the night before, and the two young dwarves' fussing over her tiny orc wound. "But I am all right." She paused, watching as he let go of the tree and stood up, picking up his arrow from where it too had fallen on the ground.

They began to walk back toward camp, the smell of cooked venison wafting through the trees making their stomachs growl slightly and their mouths water. The moon began to rise, chasing the setting sun and bathing the valley in soft moonlight.

"Thank you," she whispered next to him. He looked at her, pale face glowing slightly in the moonlight as she looked at the ground, eyes downcast. The loose strands of her hair framed her face in a slightly wild manner, strewn with some pine needles from her fall. Her eyelashes appeared dark in contrast to her pale face, and he noticed the sad expression in her eyes.

"You're welcome," he whispered as the training clearing came into sight.

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A response to guest reviewer Ari- Glad to oblige :D Yeah, she has a lot more patience and compassion than the dwarves give her credit for. Plus, she is looking beyond the actual action and to the motive behind it, something that many of the inhabitants of Middle-earth in past and present have not always been so wise to do. The action he did on the surface would have incurred vast punishment, however his motive was not sinister, unlike the reason for the punishment's existence. He genuinely was just trying to comfort her, and she saw this and accepted it and forgave it. Looking to a person's heart is a bit of the crux of this whole thing-hence the title ;) She didn't just his action based on his action, but also on the motive behind it. Similarly, it is just like her wishing the dwarves would judge her based on the motives of her own heart, not just her race. As to the novel-that won't likely happen til long after my FF is done, but I will consider it. I have to consider that first novels often are recommended to be no more than 100-120,000 words, and here I have already bested that with months left to go on the journey, so while I love the detail too, I would have to be very good and clever at editing should I go to write my own novel :) And yes, Balin is a wise sweetheart :D He is getting a bit of a soft spot for Cirashala, and it is nice that some of the dwarves are on her side now :D Thank you kindly, and I am glad you are enjoying the story!

Thanks to all who review, favorite, and follow-you guys rock! :D :D :D