Warnings: Some more blood.

Day two, a couple of hours after sunset (I guess)

Sam

I woke up with a loud moan. For a moment, I didn't know where the hell I was, but when I opened my eyes and the blur had disappeared a little, I recognized a hollowed-out room in stone.

I was inside the Lonely Mountain.

The only light in the room came from a small oil lamp next to the itchy blanket I was lying on. It was just enough for me to see that I was still wearing my own clothes. The front of my vest was still red with blood, though it had dried up by now.

Great. Mom's gonna kill me for that.

Instinctively, I reached up to feel if the wound on my throat was still bleeding, but instead, I felt something of cloth wrapped around my neck.

Wait.

Didn't they want to kill me?

Apparently, I had made some kind of impression.

I barely had time to be happy, because I heard the sound of boots in the hallway next to my room. Someone was coming. Two someones.

I immediately lied back down and closed my eyes. Maybe it was unnecessary, but I had woken up just a minute ago, and I didn't feel like answering questions just yet.

The Dwarves – they must be, right? – entered my room.

"I believe she has not yet woken up," I heard one of them say. I couldn't exactly hear who it was, but I could guess it when I heard the other one speak.

"Yes, I can see that."

It were Fíli and Kíli.

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be happy or scared. They were my favourite characters from the book, but Kíli was the one who had hurt me. And ruined my favourite vest. If I hadn't been here to save him, he would've paid for that.

My line of thought was interrupted by one of the two muttering something, followed by the rustling of clothes and the feeling of breath on my face.

Whoa, dude. Don't come so close, please.

I tried to lie as still as possible, but when I also felt fingers on my cheek, I jerked my head away and snapped my eyes open, just in time to see Fíli jump back. He looked utterly pleased with himself, being the little shit that he was, as he turned to his brother.

"I told you so," he said. "She was already awake."

I wasn't sure how to look.

"So what?" I snapped. Well, I tried to snap, but my voice was hoarse, and it came out more like a whisper. It was pathetic. I hated it.

"Nothing," Fíli replied. "I was just proving a point to my brother."

It was silent for a while before I asked: "You've come here for answers, haven't you?"

The brothers nodded simultaneously.

"I'm guessing I'm supposed to tell you how it's all going to go if you don't listen to me?"

Okay, that came out more threatening that I had meant to, but there was no turning that back, now.

Kíli shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Knowing your name first would be nice."

"And then tell us what you know," Fíli added.

I raised my eyebrows. I hadn't even thought of introducing myself before.

"W-Well," I stuttered awkwardly, "my name's Sam."

"And are you what they call a Tale-Changer?"

I nodded.

"Yep. But I'm quite new to the business. I've only changed three worlds so far. This is my fourth."

I cleared my throat, noticing that I was starting to get off-topic.

"Anyway," I said, "I've got good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Maybe it was better to just get to the point already, but I wasn't sure where to start. I wasn't extremely well at telling long stories, especially if I had to tell the two people in front of me that they and their beloved uncle were going to die.

The two brothers shared a look before Fíli politely replied: "Perhaps it is better if we would get the bad news out of the way first. Please."

"The line of Durin is going to get wiped out by Orcs. Simply said, you two and Thorin are going to get killed. That is, if you decide that I'm lying and just let it all happen."

"We have not decided yet," Fíli said. "May I ask what the good news is?"

"The good news is that Thorin's going to get better," I responded.

The brothers gave me matching puzzled looks.

"How do you know..." Kíli began, but I gestured that he had to shut up.

"Don't ask," I said. "I know way too much."

I strictly looked the two Dwarves in the eyes.

"You'd better let your uncle be until the Battle has begun. If you just let it happen, he'll eventually cure himself."

They seemed to think for a moment before they both gave a nod.

"We will," the youngest said. "Is there... anything else you want us to know?"

I knew he actually wanted to ask something else, but that he didn't dare to, because he didn't want to hear any more bad news.

"Tauriel survives," I replied.

He visibly relaxed at that, which made me have to stifle a smile. Those two were just the most adorable couple. Especially because Tauriel was so much more badass. She had pretty much the only girlpower in the entire trilogy.

There was an uncomfortable silence as I tried to figure out whether the brothers believed me or not, and if they were willing to do what I wanted them to do. Then I shook the feeling off.

"Anyway," I said, "I really hope you decide that I'm not a liar, and that you listen to my advice. If I were you, I'd get some rest, now. It's probably late, and you'll need your energy tomorrow."

They both gave me a strange look – they probably had never been commanded by a fifteen-year-old girl before – but then they nodded and straightened up.

"That sounds like a good idea," Kíli said, starting to walk out of the room. His brother followed his lead. He nodded politely at me.

"Good night, Tale-Changer," he said with a small grin.

I smirked back. "Sleep tight, Dwarf."

Then they were gone, and I was alone once again, which became boring really quickly, so I rolled off the blanket and stood up. It was dark, so I picked up the lamp. The ring was still around my middle finger – it was too large to fit around my ring finger – which made me let out a relieved sigh. If I had lost the thing, or someone had taken it from me, I would've had a problem, with the battle coming and everything, and some Dwarfs who wanted to kill me.

I walked out of the room and started to wander in the hallways. They were empty, and I didn't come across anyone until I had reached the part that looked out over the spot where I had been standing only a couple of hours ago.

I don't think I would've noticed him if he hadn't been holding a thing that practically gave light.

Bilbo was leaning on the edge of the barricade, and he was spinning the Arkenstone around in his hands. He looked up, a little startled, when I walked up to him, and quickly put the jewel back under his jacket.

"Hello," he said friendly. "I-I see you are awake."

I could tell that he was a little flustered that I had caught him with the stone in his hands – of course he didn't know that I knew what it was – but I decided not to make a remark about it. Instead, I nodded.

"Yeah, I think so," I joked, and he barked a laugh, although it wasn't funny at all. Then it was silent for a moment as we both grew absent-minded and gazed at the view.

I was happy that I didn't have to look down at the smaller Hobbit, anymore; I wasn't exactly comfortable with looking at people who were shorter than I was, for I didn't meet them really often. I never knew how to stand.

Then Bilbo's voice broke the silence.

"Thorin told me, you know," he said. "About how you claimed to know how this all was going to end. About the fact that he is probably going to... eh..."

"About how he's gonna get himself killed if he doesn't listen to my advice?" I finished. "Yeah, I know. He's a stubborn sonuvabitch."

The curse had left my mouth before I could stop it, and Bilbo turned and frowned at me.

"Beg your pardon?" he asked.

I pressed my lips on each other. "Never mind."

He didn't seem satisfied with that reply, but he didn't go on.

"However," he continued as if nothing had happened, "I was wondering how you can be sure about all this. I mean, I know that you have read about this world and about everything that happens to it, but how can you be certain that it all will happen? If I may ask."

"I can't," I immediately replied. "I don't think that there's a way to know for sure that it's going to happen. Only my arrival somewhere could make things better or worse. I just know that, if I do nothing, it'll happen like in the book. Just like I know that, if I don't stop you, you'll take the Arkenstone to the Elves next morning. You're planning to."

His mouth dropped open, and I knew that he was going to talk himself out of this, probably with 'Arkenstone? I do not have it. It is lost, is it not?', but I cut him off before he could even start to lie.

"And it's a good plan, believe me," I quickly continued. "Really good. Good enough to cure Thorin of Dragon-sickness, in the end."

He was so surprised that he couldn't get a word out of his throat – I could tell by the look on his face.

"And I know all that from the book," I finished. "That should prove it, right?"

The Hobbit snapped out of his trance and nodded.

"Yes, absolutely," he said, a little breathless. "Just- That is remarkable."

Then he seemed to remember his manners.

"I do not think I have properly introduced myself yet," he said, shaking the hand with the ring on it. "Bilbo Baggins, burglar, riddle-maker, and barrel-rider, at your service."

"Sam Lewis, fangirl, writer, and Tale-Changer," I introduced myself, grinning. "Though I don't think I'll need your service, if you don't mind."

He laughed again. Then we fell silent again. We stood there for a little while longer, leaning on the barricade and staring at the flickering lights of the camps in front of us, before Bilbo stretched his arms and yawned.

"I am going to sleep," he said, stifling a second yawn. "Excuse me, and good night."

I involuntarily mimicked his movements, and yawned as well.

"Yeah, me too," I replied. "'Night, burglar."

I picked up my lamp and started to walk back to the room I had woken up in.

I slept a lot better than expected.

A/N: Sam isn't the name her parents gave her. Her actual name is Samantha Kenyi Lewis.

(What do you think of the story? Please let me know! And thanks to everyone who has made it this far, I know it takes a while for the story to begin, but thank you!)

Next chapter, the Battle of the Five Armies will begin. Be prepared.