I glared down the hall as continued walking toward my room. I stopped glaring once I saw Bofur. He smiled at me. "I hope he didn't cause any harm."

"He didn't."

"Even mentally?"

I shook my head and stood in front of Bofur. "Not even mentally." Bofur smiled charming, and I looked aroud bashfully. "Where is everyone? Or were you the first one to finish packing?"

Bofur grinned. "We're about to have dinner, but I wanted to check on you, to see how you were doing."

I paused as Bofur continued grinning. I smiled and held out my arm. "We can go and check together."

                                                                   ~~~~~~~

I sighed deeply as I put a few things that I was stealing from the Elven drawers into my bag.

"Bre!"

I jumped and turned to Thorin behind me. "Oh. Hi." I cleared my throat. "So is everything ready to go back?"

Thorin paused. His eyes slowly went to the door, and he closed it. "Of course." He took a deep breath. "But I'd like to know what Elrond spoke to you in private about."

"He wanted me to take an Elf back with us."

Thorin's brows crashed. "And did you accept his offer?"

I shook my head. "There was something very wrong with accepting." I pursed my lips. "Also... I don't think there's a way for me to return home. I'm staying here in Middle Earth." I locked gazes with Thorin.

Thorin placed a hand on my shoulder. "You do not need to feel so abandoned. I will not allow it. You may have a home with us." He smiled. "Stay with us, Bre."

I smiled back. "I intend to."

"Let's go. There isn't much time before we must leave."

My brows furrowed. "But we have all the time in the world if we're going home."

Thorin locked gazes with me and grinned.

I paused. "Oh."

"I trust you can keep that from the Elves." Thorin stepped closer.

My breath stilled as he stood less than a foot in front of me. "Uh-huh." I nodded.

Thorin let out a small laugh. "What kind of view did you have from the waterfall? Fili said you saw his pride and joy. Kili said you were amused by what you saw, but what else did you see?"

I swallowed. "Nothing."

"Then everything that happens in this room is nothing." Thorin smiled.

I blinked. "What?"

Thorin kissed my cheek and slowly pulled back. I froze in disbelief. Thorin looked me over and stared at my eyes. "This must stay between us for a while."

I stared back for a moment. "Why?"

Thorin lowered his eyes. "My nephews fancy you. I'd rather they tire themselves out, fighting over you, and I swoop in and..." His gaze locked with mine. "There is also the fact that I want to trust you."

"Is that wrong?" I raised a brow.

Thorin took a deep breath. He stared at me for almost an eternity. "On this journey, there will be moments and instances where it will be one or the other. With three people to favor amoung the others, not to mention the skin-calls I've saved Bilbo from, my range of sight and decision is increased."

My brows furrowed. "What are you trying to say?" I sat up as Thorin got off of me.

Thorin held both my hands. "I can protect you. I can save you like I would my nephews. But if I let my guard down for an instant to save the other, I could lose one of the other two in that moment."

I paused. "You're afraid of falling for me and then losing me shortly after."

Thorin slowly locked his gaze with mine. "I've already fallen for you, but I am on a mission to reclaim my homeland for my people. I do not want to have to choose between everything I love."

                                                                 ~~~~~~~

I couldn't help but looked down as I hiked on a thin path of the mountain behind Thorin.

"Be on your guard," Thorin warned everyone. "We're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on."

"Aye," Balin nodded and led.

I stepped aside with Thorin. I noticed he spotted Bilbo staring back at Rivendell. I looked back at Rivendell, recalling Caleniel. I only looked back once after telling Elrond off. She looked heart broken, but then she smiled at me. I began to glare at Rivendell. She probably had no interest in helping me other than making herself look good.

"Master Baggins."

Bilbo and I both broke out of our thoughts.

Thorin continued. "I suggest you keep up." He walked past me, and I followed him.

"Thorin."

"Bre."

I took a deep breath. "You... you don't think any of the Elves will catch up and stop us, do you?"

Thorin stayed silent for a moment. "If Gandalf can reach us, I'm sure the Elves can. However, whether they do I do not know. I am not taking any chances, so we must move as quickly as we can." 

I looked ahead. There was a very vast scene of mountains ahead of us. I sighed realizing we'd have to walk it all, and there was no place to rest in sight.

Bofur handed me some bread. "You look hungry," he whispered. He grinned. "Have it."

I smiled and took the bread. "We do have a long way to go. Are you sure I can eat this? What if we're short one bread serving because of this?"

Bofur smiled as he ate his own. "We won't be. I stole a lot of it from the Elves. Besides, little more than half the Dwarves here don't like it. Oh! I almost forgot." Bofur dug through the pocket of his vest and produced a white flower. "Here you are, Bre!"

I smiled and took it from him. "Thank you, Bofur."

"Feeling chilly?"

I nodded. Bofur smiled and took out a blue cloak from the top of his back. "You can wear this. Careful as you unfold it: there's a brooch in there."

"Thank you, Bofur." I smiled and carefully put the cloak on. Thorin seemed to glare back at Bofur for a moment. I jumped as Fili and Kili tackled Bofur at the same time.

"So this is the one!" Kili got off of Bofur's back.

Fili laughed. "We can surely do better than him."

Bofur looked at Fili and Kili several times. "What are you talking about?"

Fili lifted me. "You, trying to steal the heart of this maiden." He turned his head towards me and smiled. "How does the beautiful Bre fair?"

"I, uh..." I lowered my gaze, bashfully.

"Speachless, I see." Fili let out a small laugh. "Fear not, for I can make silence quite fun." Fili kissed me... mouth to mouth. I heard a few gasps as Fili stopped walking. Fili pulled back as I froze, smiling. The Dwarves were throwing around money, probably for a bet they placed earlier.

Fili smiled at me. "I really liked that." Fili leaned in again.

"Fili."

Fili's head whirled to his uncle as mine slowly turned to his uncle. I couldn't stop smiling. Thorin glared. "Put her down." He quickly walked toward us. Fili did as ordered, and Thorin stood in less than a foot from Fili. He took a deep breath. "You fancy this girl?"

"Yes." Fili stared at the ground.

"You can keep it that way, but you cannot slow the pace of this journey because of some fancy you have." Thorin gave me a quick smile and went back to kind of glaring at Fili. "This is a warning. Next time, I'll take her. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good." Thorin turned away. "Move on."

                                                               ~~~~~~~

We traveled into a valley by mid day. By sunset we were in higher mountain ranges. Thorin walked ahead of Balin. He lightly patted the old Dwarf. "Let me take over. There is a storm coming."

I looked up at the sky; he was right. I heard thunder. I pressed myself more against the mountain as I looked down. The other direction would have led to certain death. The path was more narrow than any path I had been on before. One slip, and I could die. Then I remembered Thorin's words in my bedroom. I looked at all our positions. He really could only save one if he had the chance right now.

"Hold on." Thorin cautiously continued walking down the narrow path.

Bilbo suddenly yelled, and I saw the poor hobbit beginning to fall. Two Dwarves helped pull him back in time. I let out a quiet sigh and smiled.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin took a stepped down the path.

"Watch out!"

I saw a giant rock flying in the air. It hit part of the mountain above us, and all sorts of rocks and boulders began to fall around us. I felt Thorin press my arm against the moutain and my body followed.

"This is no thunderstorm." Balin stepped forward. "It's a thunder battle. Look!" He pointed to a piece of the mountain that tore itself apart from the mountain. My eyes widened as it held a piece of the mountain in its hand.

"Well bless me, the legends are true!" Bofur stepped forward. "Giants. Stone Giants!" The giant through the massive boulder at a Stone Giant behind us. The giant fell back.

"Take cover: you'll fall," Thorin yelled back at us.

Everyone pressed themselves against the mountain more. I felt the path beneath me shake a little. My eyes widened. "Thorin." I looked back to where he was looking.

"What's happening?" Kili looked at the spliting mountain between Fili and him.

Fili held his hand out to Kili. "Kili! Grab my hand! Kili!"

I looked up and noticed the head of something. "We're on a giant."

As the giant was going to stand up, another giant came and smashed it's head against the giant we were on, shattering a few pieces of its head off. The giant we were on fell back, and its knee that we were on connected us to the path again. Thorin said something, but under the tumbling rocks, I could only make out the word run. Once we were on the mountain path, I tried catching my breath as I saw the others were still on the giants other knee. I felt my heart slow when I heard Fili and Kili yell. The giant swayed as it battled against the other giant. Soon another giant entered battle and threw a rock at the giant our party was on. His head flew as his body swayed, swaying our party in front of us.

"We can help them!" I looked at Thorin. He nodded, gripped his axe, and we all ran ahead to where the company was heading to. Thorin stopped as our fears took over. The giants knee was going to crush them into the mountain. The knee smashed into the mountain, and there was no sign of the party.

"No," Thorin watched the giant fall. He ran to where the company should have been, and I followed him. "No! Kili!" Thorin stopped and I almost ran into him. He sighed. "Good. Good."

I felt myself let out a sigh of relief even without seeing the survivors.

"We're all right," Balin yelled. "We're still alive." Thorin and I passed Bofur.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur looked around. "Where's the Hobbit?" I stopped and looked around.

"There!" Ori led Bofur to Bilbo who was hanging on for dear life.

"Get him," Dwalin yelled. Ori threw himself forward to get the Hobbit, but Bilbo slipped and was now hanging on the a handhold lower than before. Bilbo tried giving his other hand to the Dwarves, but could not reach. Thorin quickly jumped down, holding on to a handhold, and he helped Bilbo up. I let out a small scream when Thorin slipped and seemed to begin falling. Dwalin grabbed Thorin's arm with both hands and lifted him back up to safety. I relaxed as Thorin began to stand up.

"I thought we lost our burglar," Dwalin said.

Thorin glared back at Bilbo. "He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us."

My brows furrowed. "And what about me?"

Thorin looked me over for a moment, saying nothing. He walked away and stopped at what looked like the entrance of a cave. "Dwalin!" He jerked his head toward the cave. Everyone began following Thorin into the cave.

"It looks safe." Dwalin placed his hand on the wall.

"Search to the back. Caves in mountains are seldom unoccupied," Thorin said.

Dwalin checked the cave with a lantern. "There's nothin' here."

Gloin dropped a bunch of wood on the floor. "Right then! Let's get a fire started."

Thorin walked past Gloin. "No, no fires. Not in this place. Get some sleep," he addressed everyone. "We start at first light."

Balin stopped Thorin. "We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan."

Thorin swayed his head one way. "Plans change." He turned away. "Bofur, take the first watch." Bofur stared for a moment and then he nodded. I took a deep breath and sat down.

Thorin walked toward me and spoke in a low tone. "You should get rest."

I nodded. "In a bit."

Thorin lied down next to me. "It's best you do it now. There is very little time between now and when we will leave."

I half smiled. "Okay." I lied back down, locking gazes with him. "But Thorin..."

Thorin smiled, but his smile disappeared as soon it arrived. "We can speak later. There isn't much time for rest now." He rolled onto his back. "Sleep well."

I paused. "You too." I turned my head and saw Kili not too far from me.

"Good night," he mouthed.

I smiled and he smiled back at me. I let out a small sigh and closed my eyes. I don't remember when I drifted into sleep, but when I woke up Thorin was yelling for us to wake up. We started falling into a crack, and our bodies began turning and spinning in all sorts of directions. We fell on to a small caged area. I tried to stand up, but my foot was tangled by a bunch of bodies. My eyes widened as goblins started running toward us. I felt all sort of arms trying to grab me, and screamed every time I felt the rough, wet-cold skin of a goblin's hand touch me.

"Bre," I heard Thorin yell.

I heard someone punch a goblin, and I kicked one away from me. But there were too many at my arms. I pulled out my sword and slashed an arm near me, but there were still too many. They began carrying us away as we all hit the back of a few goblins' heads. I kicked the goblin holding my right leg, but the one holding my left arm bit my arm hard. I screamed. 

"Bre!"

I looked at Thorin who was beside me. He seemed to be glaring at me, but I could tell he was concerned. His chest fell a bit. "Let us do the fighting."

"But--"

"I will rip his head. You're already wounded." He looked forward. "And we're already captured."