"Spread out and find her!" The loud command of the leader carried through the city and slammed into Raven's ears while she ran. An hour drew near, almost an hour when Raven - from the dreadful town, had just barely escaped; ascending upon The City Of Dale at the start of the first hour.

Pushing her feet even harder, despite her aching lungs and tremendously-blood-dripping-excruciating-pained-ribboned-back, Raven ran harder, faster. Black spots suddenly danced across her vision. Raven didn't know how much longer she could keep running, but she didn't have a full second to think about it when she felt herself run into someone.

Her feet stumbled backwards and she began to fall, when a strong hand shot out and caught her wrist to help steady her. Raven was able to pause just for a moment to take a breath while she locked her eyes with the man who had caught her by the wrist.

"Are you alright?" The man asked. Raven shook her head. She watched the man's brown eyes give her a once over. "What happened?"

Yelling from her pursuers sounded behind her. Panic filled her breasts as her pursuers gained on her. Looking from the direction her pursuers were following, Raven met the man's brown eyes again. "I will tell you everything, but I need help."

"Alright. Get behind that." The man pointed to a booth selling various items - doesn't matter what's being sold. Raven nodded her head and did as the man instructed. "Don't come out until I say."

Raven ducked down behind the stall. The woman selling the various items shot Raven a smile before continuing to go about her business as if nothing had happened. (The woman is the one who called Alfred a weasel.)

Suddenly the men chasing Raven finally made their appearance. The leader sauntered up to Bard with his goons behind him. "Excuse me."

Bard turned to face the leader. "Yes?"

"Have you seen a woman come running by here? She has long purple hair, toned body, purple eyes, a red diamond jewel center of her forehead.

"There are many women roaming about in Dale." Bard's reply was to the point, but his tone held one of confusion. The woman minding the booth briefly glanced down at the woman hiding underneath, to a T she matched the description the big oaf gave to Bard. Her appearance was a distinct and unique one, so it wouldn't be hard to spot her in the crowd.

Voicing as much, the big oaf of a leader added, "she would also be easy to spot because of her back."

Raven looked up at the woman, who briefly gave her a concerned look when her brown eyes took in the blood-stained clothes that had been tainted with the dark crimson red liquid also staining the pale skin as well.

Pretending to grab something from underneath the table, the woman took out a salve and after scooping the paste onto her fingers, gently rubbed along Raven's ribboned back to help stent the blood flow and heal the lashes littering her back. Bard was in a conversation with the big oaf while the woman worked the salve into the lashes.

"It's rare to see a Mage around these parts," whispered the woman to Raven. "Normally you guys keep to your kind."

"Normally," Raven confirmed. "But circumstances prove otherwise."

"Did your people do this to you?" The woman gently rubbed the salve over the lashes that littered Raven's lower back to indicate what she was talking about.

"Yes."

"Why?" The woman asked then hastily added, "you don't have to answer if you don't want too. I'm merely asking because a woman having her own people hurt her the way you have been hurt is very repulsing and shocking."

"I was turned on by my people on the Mage Leader's orders."

"What did you do to warrant that?"

Raven smirked. "I refused to be forcefully married to the son of the Mage Leader. The lashes just bare truth I survived due to being a survivor."

"And a fighter." The woman added, "as they should, as a woman should never be put in a situation where she feels forced to do something she doesn't want to do."

Raven smiled. But before she could say anything, the man had appeared behind the booth wearing a look confirming he had heard everything. Raven wasn't going to try and figure out how this man could multi task between keeping his attention on her while dealing with the oaf of a leader and his goons. Nor did she care about his ability to multi task. She was just glad that he had offered her help.

"They are gone." The man informed, "but the leader made clear he and his men won't leave Dale until you are found."

Raven nodded in understanding. "That's fine. I have ways of keeping myself hidden until I am well enough to move on." She allowed the other woman to help her up out from underneath the table.

"Even so." The man argued, "I can't allow a guest of my kingdom to just leave without introductions being made and I would be a very poor ruler if I allowed you to dwell somewhere where I can't watch over you."

Raven slightly tilted her head. "Because you don't trust me?"

Bard shook his head. "Because as my people call me, 'Protector of the Common Folk.' And while you're far from a common person, malady, you're under the protection of the king, and I would be a very poor king if I didn't see to your well being."

"You don't need to go to such lengths to protect me." Raven added, "I don't want to become a problem or a burden for you."

"You're far from a problem and burden, malady." Bard countered, "you're under my protection which means no one will dare lay a hand on you. So you have nothing to fear from that oaf of a leader and his goons."

Raven wanted to argue, but she was too exhausted.

Seeing that the woman was too exhausted, Bard asked her the question he had been wanting to ask the moment he set his eyes on her.

"What's your name?"

"Raven." The woman responded simply.

"Welcome to Dale, Raven." The man gently grabbed her hand. "My name is Bard."

"Bard The Dragon Slayer?" Raven asked in a way to confirm he was the one she had heard so much about, and to confirm that she had heard everything right, as her ears had begun to ring from the amount of blood she lost on top of the dizziness she began to feel; catching the booth before she could fall over.

Seeing Raven in the state she was, Bard gave a single nod, then ever so gently picked her up in his arms to carry her back to his house. "Just call me Bard."

"Then just call me Raven."

"Alright."

Raven laid her head against Bard's chest while he carried her. "Where are you taking me?"

"My house," Bard simply replied. "As I said, you're under my protection and I need you where I can look after you. It's not everyday I run into a Mage who survived such torment given by her own people."

Raven grunted in agreement. "It's not everyday I run into someone willing to help without asking questions first."

Bard smiled. "You'll find that the race of men vary from many other races. We're not full of greed and selfishness like some others. There are some men you are like that, but there is always going to be some bad apples amongst the many good ones."

Raven snickered at Bard's analogy. "Sorry. Referring to people that way was just a bit funny. Don't ask me why, it just was, and I've been needing a good laugh for quite sometime now."

Bard's smile broadened. "In that case, you should stick around when you're fully healed." He said that as he pushed open the door to walk inside a very homely house filled with the scent of winter spice wafting through the air on warm air protruding from the nearby hearth.

"Da, who is this?" asked a young woman with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes when Bard walked through the door he closed with a kick of his foot.

"This is Raven, darling. She will be staying with us for a time." Bard looked around the house. "Where are Tilda and Bain?"

"Right here, da." A younger version of Sigrid appeared at her sister's side, the only contrast was she had brown hair and equally brown eyes. Behind her, a young boy about the same as Tilda came into view; tousled brown hair but blue eyes. He looked to be a younger version of Bard.

"Da, who is she?" asked the young boy.

"This is Raven. She will be staying with us for a time."

Raven saw Bard had carried her down to what looked like a spare room with a single bed big enough for only one person in the far corner across from a simple, down to earth wooden dresser. To Raven's right, she spotted what looked like a small bathroom through a door that looked as if it had been there since Dale had been built. "It's not much," Bard informed her. "But it's home."

"I think it's perfect." Raven looked around at her new room. Her eyes landed on the window she ended up walking up to to see her view was of Dale before a beautiful mountain in the distance. Raven could have sworn she saw a gate lay before the mountain. Bard looked in the direction her eyes had went and a half smile pulled at his mouth. "Erebor," he explained. "The Ancient Dwarf Kingdom of Middle-Earth built deep within The Lonely Mountain. The City Fortress of Legend now ruled by Thorin Oakenshield."

"It's a grand view of the mountain. Just a shame the view will only be on the outside." Raven couldn't help feel the growing desire - with her own eyes, to look upon the city fortress talked about in books. A dream that would only just be a dream.

"Doesn't have to be." Bard smiled with a glint in his brown eyes. A glint even Raven knew all too well. The King of Dale was up to something.

"Oh? And what exactly are you implying?" She watched the mischievous look on Bard's face grow with his broadening smile. "Every king needs an advisor."

"You want me to be your advisor?" asked a very shocked Raven.

"I do." Bard confirmed, "as my advisor, not only will you be under my protection, you will also be working for me."

"I thought an advisor's job was only to give advice, not do any work."

Bard had another mischievous look in his brown eyes. "Yes, but I also need an emissary, too."

"An emissary?" Raven asked, "to do what, specifically?"

"You will be keeping tabs on everything and everyone within The City of Dale, relating messages to me between Mirkwood and Erebor and helping keep an eye for any threats within and out of the walls of Dale and Erebor. And if it comes down to it, you will personally travel to Erebor and Mirkwood should either king need help that is beyond my limits, but that would only be as a last resort, as both kings are more than capable of solving problems within their own walls."

All too well Raven understood what The Dragon Slayer was telling her; wanting of her. Raven was all too familiar with that sort of work from her old world. She was a Mage after all was she not? A Mage who had limitless power and fighting experience on top of watchful eyes.

"So?" Bard asked, "will you accept?" His brown eyes sparked with a hopeful glint.

"With my life, yes." Raven made for the bathroom to freshen up once Bard left to give her some privacy after thanking her and informing her he will have some clean clothes for her.

"I will write a message of greeting for the king of Mirkwood and the king of Erebor later." Raven told Bard just before he left. "I think it would be a good idea for either king to know The King of Dale is wanting to strengthen alliances with further help."

"Thank you, Raven. That will indeed boost moral and trust, as both kings are so big on trust as well."

"I'm glad you approve the idea, because I was going to do it anyways."

Bard raised an eyebrow. "You would have done so without telling me?"

"No." Raven clarified, "I would have done so whether you approved or not as it's the best idea that will increase trust and morale. Not too mention I'm a Mage, am I not? We tend to do things that others may or may not agree with when we see that it's a decision that will have a strong affect in the future."

Bard chuckled while shaking his head. "You remind me so much of Gandalf."

Raven flashed Bard a smile. "I will take that as a compliment."