Thank you all so much for the follows and favorites! And the reviews. I love getting reviews.

Arianna Le Fay: I'm so happy that you like it! I hope you continue to like it. (And privately I hope that my inner evil writer won't bump aside my better half where Durin's line is concerned.)

inperfection: I'm so glad that you liked Kili and Fili's reaction. I remember writing it and just glaring at my screen like they had personally offended me.

PurpleFairy11: I'm glad that you think it's unique and that you like it! I hope you continue to like it.

BooBoo33: I did mean for them to have actually forgotten about her. I'll get more into that next chapter. ^-^ Hope you continue to like it!


Chapter 2: Reunions and Introductions

I stared down at the pure silver candlesticks sitting on the fireplace. Although the actual piece was less than extraordinary to look at, the metal was laced through with gold and it was finely polished. It was much like the whole of the hobbits little home - less than extraordinary but with a small sort of charm that made it unusually hard to take your mind from. My fingers itched, my eyes flicking around to check that the hobbit had gone somewhere else. If it was pawned, it would get me a good bit of money. It was too tempting. Did he think that all of his visitors were good people? It would only be courteous to dissuade him of this notion, right? Make sure that he hid things a bit more when he had guests.

"Tori." I jolted to the side, stumbling over the thin carpet and bumping into the low oak table. Dwalin stood tall and imposing in the round doorway, his bushy brows low and his lips tipped down in reprimand.

Although Balin, his older brother was my main tutor, Dwalin had taken up my weaponry education in the hopes that I would be able to defend Ori. Ori had always seemed to hold a soft spot with the older dwarf - ever since Dwalin had found him sobbing in a corner of the dwarven work rooms, his sketch book torn to shreds all around him. The other dwarves had gotten to him again.

It was the start of my rather extensive training. And also the rather protective nature that Dwalin had towards Ori. He had been less than welcoming to the idea that I was going to be taking after Nori. In fact, it had been the first time that I had seen him so utterly horrified.

"Master Dwalin." I stumbled over myself trying to give him a proper curtsy, growing flustered under his harsh gaze. He had looked at me like this more than I would like to admit but for a fair bit of time, these kinds of looks had been absent.

"I've never met such a polite thief," Dwalin gruffed, his gaze still as stony as ever. Heat slowly crept up my spine, searing my face. Even Dori couldn't make me feel as foolish and ashamed as Dwalin could. "Did Nori teach you all these tricks or is there still an honest lass inside that little body of yours?"

"Honest as ever," I said immediately, switching over to Khuzdul as I grew more flustered but at the severe tip of his lips, I switched back. "Sorry."

"Don't you go stealing from the hobbit," Dwalin said darkly. "Have you lost your senses, lassie? Have the troll holes that Nori's taken you to, kept more than your former sense of honor?"

I glanced down at myself, fumbling with the creases of my skirt as a deep panic started to twist my stomach. I hated when he yelled at me. Or when he slightly raised his voice.

"What did I used to tell you, girl?"

"Honor is the pride of the dwarves," I said immediately, shrinking from him as he came over to stand in front of me. These speeches used to come swiftly and often when I was under his charge.

"Hmph," I gulped as his eyes flicked over me. "Balin will be happy to hear that you've kept some of our teachings."

"All of them, agshar," I promised, bowing my head respectfully. It was out of personal need that Dwalin and Balin had taken me under their wing. And under direct order from the king himself. Even I knew that. I was a medical anomaly. I had the speed and agility of the elves with all of the brutal force of the dwarves. After the loss of Erebor they had needed a weapon. And I'm sure that they had considered the fact that perhaps my abandonment wasn't a deliberate act. Perhaps I was more important alive and under dwarven influence than dead.

Knowing this… I breathed in, closing my eyes as the sweet scent of hobbit, cooked meat and then deeper - caves and fresh, underground water. I couldn't hate them.

"Where are your brothers, lassie?" I blinked as big, stubby fingers patted my head, glancing up just in time to see him turn and make his way into the hallway where the hobbit was still standing, looking as bewildered as before.

His home was nothing like the wilderness and caves that I knew. In fact, his house made my whole entire body feel an uncomfortable sort of itchiness that came from being in confined spaces. The wood floors were all polished to a gleaming perfection (although I was amused to see that muddy tracks had marred even that) and the bookshelves, trunks and general messiness that lined the walls was somehow condensed into seeming organized. It reminded me of small burrows that animals kept, tunnels running all around like a frantic mole trying to find all the routes that it could.

It didn't have the ruggedness that the mountains held. The gentle coziness that the hearth in every room held and the string of dried garlic and parsnips hanging from pantry doorways held seemed almost extraordinary to me. Nori would have a field day when he got here. Dori would love it.

"They should be-" I stopped as Fili strolled past, his blue eyes catching mine as he swiftly took off his coat. The lamplight lit up the harsh line of his jaw and defined all the parts of him that I didn't want to think about. Like his biceps. Instinctively, my lips curled down into a sneer as his lips did the exact opposite, his eyes sparkling. Stupid prince.

My eyes stayed on him as I distantly registered the sound of the front door bell being rung.

"They're here," I gritted out, glaring at the tall blonde as he turned fully to face me, tossing his coat onto a trunk that was already stacked high with books. He looked so bloody cocky. "What are you staring at?"

"You're the one that looked my way first, Tori," he said lowly, a smirk curling his lips devilishly as he stepped closer to me, causing me to have to look up in order to keep eye contact.

"Don't call me Tori," I hissed out, ignoring the fact that my chest was brushing against him and that a few strands of his hair was falling forward in a rather charming way.

"What would you like me to call you? Hamumal amrul?" Heat rolled over my neck, searing my face as my breath clogged in my throat, my eyes going wide. The words felt like a physical punch to the gut. Brilliant, blue eyes sparkled down at me as his head tipped to the side.

Little love. I blinked rapidly, trying to regain myself as I hissed in a breath. "I-I- You won't need to call me anything. We won't be talking much along this journey."

"I highly doubt that, Tori." His every breath took mine away, his head tipping down so far that I could feel the gentle exhale against my cheek. I looked away, my eyes watering. I couldn't think of anything to say. My mind was completely blank. I felt like I was drowning.

Dwalin coughed. Thank Aule. I jerked away, stumbling back until I could feel the solid press of a wall behind me. He wouldn't affect me like this again. Fili was a force that was contaminating my senses. He would ruin me completely if I let him.

"You stay away," I warned, putting as much force into my voice as I could muster as Fili tipped his head back, his eyes sparking. And then I ran.

"I-i-if this is some clotterd's idea of a joke-" I hurried after him as the small hobbit gave a forced laugh. Even that sounded a bit panicked. What an odd bunch of creatures - these hobbits. We had been invited by Gandalf and yet he was acting like we had just planned a funeral on his birthday. If this was the kind of nervous nature that he had… My hopes drooped. He wouldn't last all the way to the mountains.

Hurrying to pick up the daggers and swords that he tossed this way and that in his blind rage, I set them on the sofa in a room just to the left of the front door. They really were beautiful weapons. My fingers ran along the intricate leather sheaths that encased the steel. I could at least give Fili that.

Mr. Bungens was still rattling off, his voice growing higher and higher in key as he got closer and closer to the door. Whipping around, I quickly stopped as Bilbo tossed open the door and then stumbled back as a dozen or so dwarves cascaded into the main hallway, screaming and grumbling along the way.

"Get off!" My ears perked up at the familiar voice, watching intently as all of them slowly regained themselves, straightening their clothes and smoothing out their hair as they got up.

"You ill-mannered heathens, what do you think-?" Artic blue eyes connected with mine, the stream of chastization stopping dead in it's tracks.

"Brother," I whispered, a sudden awkwardness falling over me as I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor. I hadn't left with Nori on such great terms with my eldest brother. In fact, he had all but screamed us out of the great gates of the Blue Mountains. If there would have been any reason for me to stay, it would have lain with Dori and Ori. I dipped unsteadily into a curtsy.

"You dolt." Arms crushed me to a big, burly chest, jolting the air out of me in one swoop as the familiar scent of herbs and tea engulfed me. I had forgotten about that scent. "Why haven't you written?"

I didn't answer immediately, my arms slowly going to wrap around him as involuntary tears stung my eyes. "I did. You didn't get them?"

"I got them," my brother said stubbornly, not letting going even as I tried to pull back to get a look at his face. "You didn't write home enough. Don't you have some care for your poor brother's emotions?"

Over his shoulder, I saw Nori roll his eyes, his lips moving as he dramatically reenacted Dori's words. Beside him, Ori shifted awkwardly, his big, doe eyes widening as tears welled up. I smiled, snuggling more fully into Dori's hold. I had missed this.

"I hate to break up this touching reunion but we need to get some food." Gloin and Oin muscled their way past us, their hair taking up nearly as much room as their big bodies. Many of the women had been drawn to them for the giant mass of red and gray hair that the brothers had. It wasn't unsurprising that both of them were married so happily. Another thing that they had in common was their equal degree of disinterest towards me.

"Yes!" Dori suddenly exclaimed, tearing himself away from me as he threw off his coat and quickly went to work on undoing Ori's and tossing it onto a trunk beside the door. "Food!"

"No!" the hobbit suddenly exclaimed, jolting out of his shock as the whole of the dwarves that were brought here began to make their way to the two pantries that were directly beside the kitchen and dining room. "No! No food!"

Just then, my eyes caught on the familiar figure clothed in gray, his eyes twinkling merrily as her watched from his crouched position on the doorstep.

"You don't have any food?" Dori breathed, clearly aghast at the thought.

"No - I mean - I - I do," Mr. Bungens stuttered out, his eyes flicking from the dwarves to the wizard at his doorstep in confusion and shock.

"Good!" Dori roared, clapping merrily as he rolled up his sleeves and nodded to Nori who swiftly nodded back before hurrying to the pantry to pick out some tea herbs. "Ori, go sit by the fire. There was a chill in the air tonight and I don't want you catching a cold, do you?"

Ori scuttled forward a few steps as my brother nudged him steadily in the direction of the parlor that I had just set Fili's swords.

"Tori." Although the words were gentle in the din of sound that was slowly sucking the life out of the small home, I turned to my youngest brother, placing a tentative hand on his arm.

Although Balin had been my main tutor in all things like writing and language, Ori had been the one who had started me down the path. He would teach me everything and anything that he had learned. And because we were so close in age, it had been him who I had played with. We had been each other's companions for the whole of my childhood. A small smile tipped up his lips as he placed his hand over mine.

"I've missed you," I whispered, my eyes catching on the thick leather journal clutched in the hand that I wasn't holding. "You got my journal."

Happily, he dipped his head in confirmation. "You look so different, Tori. I almost didn't-"

"Tori." I glanced to the side, catching Dori's stern look as he flicked his eyes to the parlor before staring intently at Ori who blushed a bit.

"I'll talk to you later," I whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying back to Dori who nodded to the wizard who had by now moved into the main hallway. I took the hint.

"Master wizard." My head dipped low as I gave him a deep curtsy, keeping my eyes to the ground as I straightened. "Would you like anything to eat?"

Beside me, I heard a gurgled screech roll from the hobbit. What an odd creature, he was.

"Gandalf will suffice… Um, I'm sorry. I've quite forgotten your name." I didn't glance up at the merry laugh that he gave, his well trodden boots coming into view as well as the muddy hem of his robes. He must have been on the road for a very long time trying to gather us all up.

"Tori, Mast- Gandalf. Sir." It felt incredibly awkward calling a wizard by his first name although my muddled correction only seemed to amuse him more.

"Well, Tori - if you will, I would like a crust of bread… If Master Baggins would be so willing to oblige."

At this, I did glance up, my brows drawing together as my mind swirled in confusion. Who was..? Gandalf was staring at Mr. Bungens. I blinked, watching as the hobbit's cheeks colored and his lips thinned.

"You-" the hobbit started angrily, stepping forward.

"You didn't mention that your name was Baggins," I blurted out, staring at him. It was a much better name than Bungens or Boggins, for sure. "Why didn't you correct me?"

"There was a lot going on," the hobbit said, his voice thin with strain. A small blood vessel in the side of his temple beat furiously, pounding beneath his flesh as he kept his eyes adamantly on the wizard behind me.

"Bread will do quite fine, little Tori." My attention snapped back to the wizard, my head tipping back, back, back until it cracked. This man was like a great oak, his eyes lit with life even though his hair was long and white as snow, his face wrinkled with age.

"Butter, sir?" His brows tipped up. "Gandalf?"

"Very good." He nodded, smiling gently down at me. "Butter will suffice. Thank you, Tori."

Giving him one final curtsy, I hurried off to the pantry.

"Watch out." Fire blazed up my spine at the familiar voice. If only to get away from it, I would enjoy not being set up in this small hobbit hole.

Pressing my lips together, I stepped aside as Fili and Kili, adjust the large barrel of wine in their hands as they made their way to the dining room.

"You know, you could try to look a bit excited at seeing me," Fili suggested and I gritted my teeth as he deliberately halted walking in front of me, effectively trapping me in the corner that I had backed into.

"Why should I fake it, my prince?" I asked, forcing a thin smile as Kili gave a snort. The younger brother was obviously getting more than his fair share of entertainment from his brothers antics.

"Oh, love," Fili said, his head tipping to the side as he gave me a smirk that sent fire blazing through my veins. "I think what you're doing right now is faking it."

"You arrogant-" I began, my scalp tingling as anger flushed my face and clogged my throat. I wanted to punch his stupid face.

"Come on, Kili," Fili said, effectively stopping my rant as he raised his voice and turned his attention back to hauling the barrel into the dining room.

"Maybe next time, eh, Tori?" Kili chortled as he walked past, an amused smirk curling his lips.

What a pair of clots. I silently seethed, my fingers uncurling and curling into fists as I glared after them. It was amazing that they could fit into the halls with those gigantic heads of theirs. He was just taunting me because he knew it got to me. I kicked at the ground angrily.

"Tori." Dori had found me, his face already gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat. "Does Gandalf not want anything?"

"No - um -" I stumbled over myself as my older brother's brows furrowed. "Bread. With butter."

"Did you inquire about drinks?" I remained silent. My brother was an adamant believer in tea. At all times of the day. "Nori really has corrupted you with his barbarian-"

My eye twitched.

"You bet I have," Nori boasted as he strolled past us, his teeth gleaming in the lamplight as he gave me a quick pat on the head and a wink before continuing on into the dining room. "Fili! You've become quite a looker now haven't you?!"

"Well, go on, then," Dori grimaced, shooing me into the pantry as he hurried back to the kitchen. "I'll get the tea, you get the bread. Be quick about it."

"Bloody fabulous," I hissed, slamming my way into the place as a series of dwarves filed in and out with handfuls of different foods.

My eyes restlessly flicked from the door and back as a deep anxiety filled me. That bloody dolt just wouldn't leave me. I was waiting for him to pop up around every corner and open his big, handsome mouth and say something - I sliced through the bread angrily. There was nothing more to do. I just had to ignore him.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my hair away from my face and straightened my shoulders as I picked up the tray with buttered bread. Composed face: on.


Not where I wanted to end it but I really wanted to give you guys something before I had to burrow back into my hole of work. Hope you guys like it. Please follow/favorite and review, review, review. You all know how much I love to hear from you.

Khuzdul:

Agshar: Tutor or teacher

Hamumal amrul: Little love