You were bored.

You were oh, so bored.

The trees of the forest were silent, and the morning light was dull compared to its usual glow. Though you were always lonely, you had never been this bored. You were ready to take any chance at fun there was.

"Kili, Fili, make a reconnaissance of the forest upfront!" a husky voice in the distance said.

Oh, and there it was.

In the distance, you could see a handsome pair of…dwarves. They were dwarves? You hadn't seen many dwarves around, well besides yourself. As they approached, you guessed this was your chance at something exciting.

Coming closer, the two of them stopped for a moment two look at their surroundings. You stifled laughter, and grabbed an arrow from the sling behind you. You brought your bow up to eye level and focused in. Within moments, you had shot at the tree between the two, and they both raised their swords.

"Who goes there?" the darker haired one shouted.

"I believe I should be asking that," you said, arising from behind the trees. "(F/N), at your service," you said as you bowed.

"You're…a woman," said the one with lighter hair.

You raised your eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Really? In my twenty-three years of life I have never realized!"

By then, the rest of the men had caught up with the two.

"She's a woman…and a dwarf," said a voice, the huskier one from earlier.

"She knows," Kili and Fili said in unison, yet not taking their eyes off you.

You surveyed the crowd of men. Dwarves, and a hobbit, and a wizard. Odd.

"Where are you going?" You asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable now, and raising your own sword to your side.

"Where are you going?" said the darker haired one of Kili and Fili.

"Lonely Mountain. I'm going to Lonely Mountain," you blurted out. Well, shit. How did that come out?

"A woman?" said the husky voiced one. It seems none of them had come out their state of shock.

"Yes. I'm a bloody woman. I get it."

"She's much stronger than you might think," said the wizard in the back, who you could still barely see.

He came out from the shadows, behind the men.

"(F/N), I haven't seen you since you were but a child."

"Gandalf!" You held out your hand. "I wouldn't have expected to find you here. Actually, I hadn't expected to find anyone here, really…" you started to wander off.

"I must say, this young woman is stronger than the lot of you. It would be wise to continue our adventure with her, Throrin," Gandalf said, turning back to the men.

"How much stronger could one girl be than all my men-" The husky voiced man, Throrin, started, before being cut off.

"I met (F/N) wandering the plains, during an orc attack. An entire group of male dwarves, travelling with one young girl, and then the orcs attacked. No dwarves died that day, and all orcs did. All killed only by one little girl with a bow and arrow."

There was silence within the group of men. You shook in an unsettled way. Though it was all true, Gandalf made it seem like you were to be feared, which wasn't exactly what you wanted. You were foolish at the time, and if it were to happen now, you would not react the same. The spirit of one's former child self is not much intact as one gets older.

"I supposed…that is an accomplishment to take in. Especially for a…a woman. She will accompany us to Lonely Mountain," Thorin state, in a bit of shock.

"Excuse me," You started, leaning against the tree beside you. "should she not get a say in this?"

Ugh, men.

He approached you and took your hand.

"Would she like to accompany us to Lonely Mountain?" he said in what he considered to be a gentleman-like manner.

Oh lovely, now you were being treaty even more inferiorly than before. You pulled your hand away from his.

"I'd like consider it you accompanying me, seeing as I was here first and you asked. And yes, I will, as long as I'm not treated as lower," you said, eyeing the one you recognized as Kili now.

Thorin was a bit putt off by your response. After all, he had never met such a strong-minded, and strong hearted, woman before.

"Right well," he started. "You may travel in the back."

He saw your eyes flicker with a glare at him.

"-with Kili," he continued.

Kili flickered his eyes towards him too.

"Fine then." He and you said in unison.