Aragon: (Onyx's POV)

The wind was the only sound that the raven haired girl could hear - perched high up in the spindly branches of the tall white trunked tree - golden leaves silently fluttering in the wind as the girl clung to the trunk; arms and legs wrapped around it.

      The girl was me, and I was completely terrified by the fact I was thirty feet off the ground, and I was so dizzy that I didn't even want to try to clamber back down.

      My reason for playing around in such tall tree was because of my uncle - well I guess he was my guardian now - anyway, he had me on a tight schedule, and to avoid said schedule I was hiding out in the tree.

      I did feel somewhat guilty for leaving my cousin Arwen to the pain and torment of the lengthy history lesson my uncle Elrond had planned for the day. I much preferred to play around, spending my time climbing up trees - Emphasis on climbing up, not down -.

      My name is Onyx Swift, named after the stone for my hair and eyes; devoid of color, but for the silver that was bleached into my hair by the sun from my days of playing around outdoors. I was exhausted, but the cool wind kept most of my hair from plastering itself to my sweaty face. I probably looked like I was using my hair to cover up my oval face, unable to face the reality of my mild situation, stuck in a sycamore tree.

      There was a rustle from the ground bellow, the sound was that of someone clearing away the fallen leaves from around the base of the tree. I craned my head to look down over my shoulder, but I couldn't see who it was through the leaves. If I spoke to the wrong elf, I'd be dragged indoors to the library for the accursed history lesson.

      I shifted in the tree branches above - trying to get a better look at the person below, but the leaves were too thick - I felt my boot slip on my feet and my eyes wiped a tad. My left boo was limping off my foot. I tried to lift my leg and bend down to reach it, sliding precariously to the side.

      "Crap..." I mumbled as my boot slid off my foot and nearly hit every tree branch on its way down.

      "Who's there?" A voice called up. It was a voice of a boy, a litter deeper than most of the elf boys my age around here. I screwed my eyes tight a moment before I responded.

      "Onyx - Onyx Swift." I called down, wincing as the disappointment was painfully evident in my voice. "I'm coming down." I sighed loudly and began to make my way down, gripping tight at every branch I came across. It was a little harder with one boot on my right foot while my bare toes were exposed to the nipping wind.

      "You can let go now!" The bow called from bellow as I tried to find a foothold but came up empty.

      "I'll brake my arm or something important!" I called back, nervously shifting about, letting my arms go straight as I hung against the trunk, trying hard to find my next foothold.

      "I'll catch you; it's alright, I promise." The voice was softer now, and I groaned against the bark, my nose pressed into it. I stayed that way for only a moment until I made up my mind.

      "Okay, I am letting go... oh dang... now!" I shouted and released my grip, falling stiffly through the last twelve feet to the ground... or what I assumed would be the ground. Instead I jerked in my fall as I felt my body slam into another and arms wrap right around my waist.

      "You can open your eyes now." I didn't realize I still had my eyes closed until I opened them. I turned my head to stare at the boy who had caught me. He was definitely not an elf. He had dark brown hair, soft blue eyes and a small smile on his lips. He looked amused, and that bothered me greatly.

      I got out of his arms and stood before him, fully facing him, "Thank You, that was very kind of you." I mumbled - face turning red from embarrassment -.

      "Not at all... I am Aragon." He said holding out his calloused hand. I gingerly took his hand and nodded at him.

      "Onyx. Although you already knew that..." I said, still very red in the face.

      "Pleasure to hear it once more." He said, and lifted my hand to his lips in a practiced motion, panting a soft kiss on my knuckle...

      Legolas POV: (Valerie's POV)

I drew my swords, shouting in shock. I slashed my blades upward at the oncoming spider, drawing blood from its underbelly and face. I reeled back, stumbling as far away from the oncoming spiders as possible.

      "Come on!" I felt Thorin grab my wrist and we bolted. The dark forest swallowed us as we ducked through the low hanging branches and the large spiders that snarled and screeched at us. I dodged the stinger of a large and fat spider and followed the company.

      A spell came to mind - a rather effective one, exhaustive none the less - a shield spell. I remembered the rune and I remembered the chant.

      "Stop moving!" I shouted in an uncharacteristically loud and sharp tone. The dwarves all turned to me as the spiders closed in. I clasped my hands together in front of my chest, chanting as my hands broke apart with a thick strand of the scarlet magic. I wove my hands about, flicking my fingers as the simple rune came into place.

      With a scream that raged inside my body I struck out, slamming my palm into the rune that hung in the air. The light expanded and the spiders shriveled back, screeching. The light sounded the group until it vanished quickly.

      "No one move!" I panted, my hands still in the air as the spiders came closer, seeing none of the light that I had created before, and began to advance once more.

      "Everfell!" Thorin shouted, as if telling me he was going to disobey my order.

      "Just wait!" I shouted louder, my whole body shaking and the spider lunged forward, everyone flinched back violently, but instead of being attacked by the spider, I watched as it slammed against the invisible barrier.

      Runes lit up around the impact place and the spider fell back, head smashed in and oozing the thick green blood over the ground. I screamed unintentionally as the pain of holding the spell washed over me. I was sweating and my hands were shaking as I kept them outstretched.

      Spiders kept slamming into the field and either stumbling back and trying again, or smashing their heads in. The invisible shield was stained with the green ooze and the runes lit up whenever the spiders smashed into its disappearing when the contact left. I knew I couldn't hold it up much longer, but I was able to give Thorin a warning.

      "I can't..." I breathed, just before my knees gave out and I fell onto my hands and knees, panting. The shield vanished and I exclaimed loudly as I felt the pain ripple through my body. A large spider crept forward but stopped short as someone landed atop it. My vision was blurry but someone slid off the spider and aimed and arrow at Thorin who stayed stiff.

      "Do not think that I won't kill you dwarf; it would be my pleasure." There was a creaking of bowstrings as dozens of woodland elves stepped towards us, weapons up and armed.

      I was dragged to my feet by a brunet elf who seemed surprised to see my height and face un-bearded. His face was sharp with a square jaw and high cheekbones. His hair was pulled back by braids and he was handsome like all elves were.

      "My Lord Legolas." The elf spoke in a deep and silvery voice. "They have a human with them." He said, and unclipped my swords from my belt, quickly patting me down as a blond elf with pricing cobalt blue eyes approached me.

      The elf stood before me and examined my face. "Who are you?" He spoke but my voice wouldn't come from my burning throat. I gasped for breath and the elf let go of my arm and I instantly crumbled to my knees, shaking, my hands clenching in the leaves.

      "She's tried, leave her be. I'll tell you what you're after!" Ori spoke up bravely, and I lifted my head to see him, standing in front of me, his hand reaching back towards me. "She's Valerie Everfell, she's out friend." Ori said, and the elves made no move to stop him as he held out his hand and helped me sit up on my knees.

      "V-Val-" I spoke to confirm Ori's statement but I felt something dribble into my mouth and found that I was bleeding. I went to wipe my nose, but discovered that the blood was not coming from my nose, but from my ears.

      "My lord Legolas?" The brunet elf spoke, looking at the blond. The blond elf looked down at me - something shifting in his eyes as he reached out towards me. I let myself become as passive doll as the elf picked me up, and my head lulled back, my hair falling over his arm.

      The elf shouted something in elvish and I felt it resonate within his chest and my body shuddered as he began walking, every step vibrating up into my body, eyes drifting closed as I mulled the name over in my head.

      Legolas... what a kingly name.

      Gimli: (Ren Kir)

My wild brown hair whipped around my shoulders as I ran around my backyard. It was a nice and simple backyard with a tall oak tree and a flower bed that housed tulips and chrysanthemums or various colors. There was an old rope swing tied to one of the lower hanging branches - fraying a little but not too bad -.

      My mother, Tilda, was inside, getting ready for our outing. My nicest dress was hanging on the line outside, fluttering in the wind. The dress was dark blue - bordering on teal - with suits in the elbows where my white sleeves beneath could peek out.

      The reason for the dress up probably had something to do with the fact that we were going to Erebor - the great Dwarf city that lay only a mile away from us on flat land - the city of Dale always in the great mountain's shadow.

      My name is Ren Kir, daughter of Tilda and Isaac, granddaughter of the famous Bard the Bowman. At this moment I was six years old - barely tall enough to see over the counter top - with untamable brown hair. My grandpa always told me I looked like my mom when she was my age; minus the sturdy features of my father.

       "Ren? Come inside now and get dressed!" I stopped in the middle of terrorizing the flock of thrush birds in the oak tree when my mother called me.

      "Fifteen minuets?" I tried, but of course my mother shook her head from the kitchen window. I grumbled and left the birds alone to grab my dress from the line and run inside.

      It didn't take long for me to dress, and it took a little more than half an hour to walk from Dale to Erebor. I found a rock to kick the way there and made up my mind to keep it afterwards. And I followed my mother inside the large front gate of the dwarven home.

      I made my way along the front of the stands that had been set up in front, and watched as my mother retrieved her yearly allowance. Everyone from the city of Dale was able to withdraw a yearly payment after the famous Battle of the Five Armies.

      There was chattering and laughter of children not far off and I turned around to see a group of young dwarf lads, playing with wooden swords and axes. It looked like great fun.

      "Mom," I tugged on my mother's dress impatiently, "mother, can I go play with them?" I asked and pointed at the group.

      "Alright, just stay close." She said absentmindedly as she filled out a from with a long tawny quill. Taking my chance I ran across the great hall and stopped behind a red haired dwarf boy and I tapped his shoulder,

      The dwarf lad that I tapped turned to me and I noticed the young beard on his face, as all the dwarf boys had. He was red haired with bright almond eyes and a bit of a larger nose.

      "Can I play?" I asked, and was rather annoyed when the boys started laughing.

      "But you're a girl." The red haired dwarf lad said and I puffed up my cheeks indignantly.

      "So?" I frowned and set my hands on my hips. "I may be a girl, but I sure can whoop you." I said with a firm nod. The dwarfs laughed.

      "I'd like to see that." The red-headed dwarf scoffed. That did it. I felt my face turn red and I pulled back and send my fist flying into his pudgy gut. The dwarf boy puffed in shock and staggered back. I knew dwarves were tough, and I had a killer punch - even for a little girl -.

      "Can I play now?" I said proudly, puffing up my chest and the dwarves laughed and the redhead clapped me on the shoulder - already recovered from the punch -.

      "Aye!" He barked happily. "What's your name lassie?" He asked and I held out my hand.

      "Ren Kir." I said proudly and the dwarf boy shook my hand.

      "Gimli son of Gloin."

      Merry: (Posie Fairwater)

Today was not going as I had planned. Instead of enjoying the nice summer day I was indoors, sick with a cold. I had nasty allergies that rendered me sick with a runny nose and a fever. My neighbor, Merry Brandybuck, had come asking for me, but my mother had to turn him away for the good of his own health.

      My red hair was parted down the middle and pulled into pigtails, tied off with blue ribbons my brought out the one blue eye I had, whilst making the brown one glitter uniquely on its own.

      I sat in my bed, propped up against the oak headboard - squashed into almost a dozen pillows - quilted blanket drawn up over my knees. I wore my nightclothes that consisted of a pink night dress with pale butter yellow pinstripes going down vertically. I had knee-high white socks with a lace hem, and I had a habit of biting my nail under the long sleeves, creating a few holes in the cuff.

      I huffed and looked over at my tutu my mother had made for me hanging on the footboard. Apparently if I couldn't dance around, but I could walk round the house to keep my blood flowing. It didn't make much sense to me. If I felt good enough to dance, couldn't Merry come play?

      A plink caught my attention as I turned my head to the little round window. The rose bushes outside bloomed with yellow buds and their waxy green leaves rustled as if they had been disturbed.

      A second plinking sound tapped against the glass and I had just enough time to see a small pebble bounce off the glass. This intrigued me so thoroughly that I jumped out of bed and my feet padded across the ground as I bounced over to the window, and peer out - stepping on my tiptoes - seeing a head of curls just beyond the rose bushes that only stretched out a foot or two.

      A familiar grinning face peered over the bushes and I stared in surprise as Merry leapt into the air and landed back on the ground in a crouch. He disappeared from view a moment and I pressed my nose to the glass, looking through the leaves for him.

      I did not have to look long, as Merry popped up again and scrunched his face up in a comical expression and wiggled his hands beside his head and disappeared again. I clapped a hand to my mouth a giggle escaped my lips and my cheeks were pushed up as my smile grew at the sight of my dear friend.

      Merry leapt up again and stuck his tongue out at me before disappearing again. He did this for nearly ten minuets and I watched him with a large smile; my elbows propped up on the sill as my hands were balled up under my chin.

      Every once and a while I whipped my nose with my sleeve and Merry would make silly faces in a strange new kind of peek-a-boo.

      Merry did that every day I was sick, and he never stopped; not even when were young and respectable hobbits - at least on my part- seeing as Merry and Pippin could run amok all day even when they reached their thirties. But Merry never failed to make me smile...

      Pippin: (Kathleen Bee)

The evening sun shone golden ribbons of light across the Shire that late evening. My bouncy blonde curls were pulled back in a springy ponytail, as I stood beside my Aunt Ellis.

      Today was Mr Bilbo Baggins 89th birthday. There was ale sloshing in mugs, hearty laughter; a band was playing as all the young hobbit girls and boys danced around merrily. There was a vast array of foods and drink spread over long tables and sold in colorful tents.

      I sat just at the edge of one of the said colorful tents. Aunt Ellis was a fortune teller - not a real one - but people thought it was exciting to have their fortunes told, even though they were all wild guesses. Some people believed her, and I guessed it was because most of us hobbits were very predictable.

      My hair was tied by a green ribbon that matched my green skirts. I wore a long sleeved cotton shirt that hugged my arms; accompanied by a old and worn leather corset around my middle. I was sitting with my elbows on my bouncing knees as Aunt Ellis told a fortune to a Mr Fatty Bolger.

      My name was much more... sophisticated? Elegant? Darling? And if its not too blunt, less disturbing and unflattering. I was called Kathleen, Kathleen Sari Bee, though mostly people called me Kathy or Bea.

      "Kathleen?" I turned when aunt Ellis called my name in the middle of her fortune session. "Why don't you join the party; I see a young and handsome man in your future." She said with a knowing smile.

      "All right." I agreed without hesitation, "You'll find me in the crowd." I said and Ellis made a shooing motion with her hands as I backtracked and turned to face the music - quite literally -.

      I was so eager to get away from Aunt Ellis' fortune about Fatty Bolger having better luck with his garden next time a contest rolled about. Mr Bolger was quite the pumpkin farmer, who's pumpkins could easily fit a small hobbit child inside... don't ask me how I know, but let's just say I found seeds in my curls for a week afterwards and my shirt had been stained orange.

      As I circled the dancing couples I saw a hobbit with curly copper hair meet my gaze. I knew I'd seen him before, but then again, he looked like most hobbits. He was shorter than most of the boys, with copper hair that glowed golden in the lantern lights that glittered over head. His eyes were bright green eyes, speckled with golden brown and sage flecks.

      I didn't know why he caught my attention; maybe it was the small smile on his face as he looked at me or the fact that he looked so happy. I swear, if only Aunt Ellis' fortune telling worked.

      As I looked at him, he raised his hand slowly and waved it once in a shy greeting from a distance. He looked soft and sweet in the golden light as the sun began to face.

      I looked over my shoulder to make sure he was waving at me before I actually waved back and I noted at no one was behind me. I was in the edge of the party, practically in the shadows of the desert table. Oh great Scott. How embarrassing, I was looking at a hobbit-boy from beside the desert table. I lifted my hand and slowly waved back myself.

      It made my heart lurch in my throat as his green deepened and his eyes began to twinkle brilliantly in the setting sunlight. It startled me when the hobbit began to wave through the crowd of dancers towards me.

      'Get a grip Kath,' I thought to myself, and tried to convince myself that he was heading over her for a sweet roll or a pastry of sorts, instead of deluding myself into thinking I caught his eyes. I wasn't the most gorgeous of hobbits, but I didn't despise myself as much as to think I was bellow average looking.

      "Hello." I looked up from my wringing hands and chewed nails to meet the eyes of the speaker. It was the hobbit-boy who stood before me and smiled. His voice sounded young and cheery as he looked into my eyes shyly.

      "G-good evening." I stuttered out as I finally remembered that it took two people to have a conversation.

      The hobbit extended his hand and set his other behind his back. I set my hand in his and be bowed briefly over it. "My... Err, that is, my friend Merry; he's over there." The hobbit lad pointed and I followed his finger to a hobbit that looked remarkably similar to him across the dance circle. He was snickering with another dark haired hobbit who had large baby blue eyes.

      "Anyway, they said that I wouldn't have the guts or the decency to come introduce myself." He said and smiled. I couldn't help but smile back - finding his grin infectious -.

      "I'm Kathleen Bee." I said boldly with a smile and played a bow of my own, and Pippin giggled sweetly and bowed as well.

      "I'm Peregrine Took, but most everyone here calls me Pippin." He said and I took note of the blush across his cheeks. His ears were pink and the back of his neck was tinted the same shade of scarlet as his cheeks. My own face was probably just as bad or worse as I was almost impervious to the burning sensation of a blush.

      "Would... well, would you like to dance with me, Kathleen?" Pippin asked and I grinned. Looking over his shoulder at the red tent with the purple and golden tassels which I had crept from, and thought of my Aunt Ellis.

      "That'd be nice." I said with a large grin and Pippin smiled and playfully offered his arm. I took it and we stepped into the dancing rings. We stood side by side and I skipped and twirled around. Pippin hand my hands in his as we swung to the cheery tune that ran though the air and slid up into the darkening sky as the stars peeked out from under their velvety curtain of night, as if they had be coaxed out by the very melody itself.

      That night, Aunt Ellis made a prediction that she didn't much think over, and it had come true. I, Kathleen Bee, met the most adorable hobbit: Pippin Took...