The pic is what Erica is wearing ATM enjoy xxx

The next morning the company rose early from their sleep and got ready to set out on the quest. However Kili and Fili were not waking up which was getting the company agitated.

"Those lads are deep sleepers, it's goin to take ages to get them up" Bofur whined. They failed to notice their extra member Erica kneel down with her gloves off and touch the boys on their necks. They roared in fright and fell off the couch, startling the company. When they saw the state the boys were in they roared in laughter as they chased Erica out the door. She was caught and Kili started to tickle her making her squeal "ok! I surrender!" She cried. Kili laughed and ruffled her hair.

"Alright alright enough you lot, let's get moving!" Thorin snapped. Erica, not wanting to annoy him further, helped the dwarves with the supplies and saddled up the ponies. "isn't Bilbo coming?" She asked

"The halfling has chosen not to come. He would be a burden anyway" Dwalin grumbled

"He may just change his mind" Gandalf spoke with a smile.

"I highly doubt it wizard." Dori grumbled as he jumped on his pony. Erica sighed. She was hoping the little hobbit would come.

"Ever ridden before miss Erica?" Ori asked cheerfully. Erica looked at him and nervously laughed "umm once when I was little. It didn't end so well" she explained, mentally wincing when she fell off a horse in her younger years.

"You can ride with me miss Erica!" Kili announced from his pony

"Nooooo she can ride with me!" Fili argued grabbing her hand. Kili too the other one and the two argued a little until Erica was lifted off her feet and put into another horse "she will ride with me and that's that" a deep voice rumbled.

Erica saw that it was Thorin and blushed deeply as he pulled himself up behind her, keeping one arm around her waist and the other on the reins "let's be off then" he said. Soon the company were riding through the shire and into the woods of the east, happily chattering to themselves.

A few words of their conversation were heard, including "waste of time" and "use a hobbit". Erica shook her head lightly and looked ahead.

"How about some bets lads! Ahem and lass, 30 silver coins say that the hobbit won't show!" Gloin betted. The dwarves started yelling out bets "what about you miss Erica!?" Bofur called.

Erica thought for a moment before she smirked "I bet 100 that he shows up. I don't think he'll miss this chance of an adventure...I certainly didn't" she said boldly. The dwarves ooed in surprise at her boldness "yer on lassie!" Dwalin yelled with a grin. Erica giggled

"You seem so sure that the halfling is going to show up" Thorin spoke in doubt. Erica smiled "there's much more to him that meets the eye master dwarf. He may be small but he has bravery within him."

Thorin looked down at her in surprise. "Your more bolder than I thought" he mumbled. Erica smiled and admired the world around her until the wind picked up around her ears and she heard the faint sound of running footsteps.

"Wait! Wait!"

Some dwarves call "Woah!" and stop their ponies as well as Thorin. Erica leans over and grins seeing Bilbo catch up to them and hands Balin the contract.

"I signed it!" He gasped out, trying to catch his breath

Balin takes the contract and inspects it with a pocket-glass. He then smiles at Bilbo "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." He proclaimed

The dwarves cheer but Thorin doesn't look too impressed. He looked away "Give him a pony." He grunted.

Bilbo began to protest until he was lifted off his feet onto a pony. He held the reins with caution, looking a little bit un impressed about having to ride a pony.

"Pay up Nori!" Oin called. Soon money was thrown around to those who one the bet. "Heads up Erica!" Kili yelled tossing a bag. Erica grabbed it and put it in her bag.

By nightfall they had set up camp on a cliff side. Erica kindly helped Bombur with the stew and passed it out to everyone. She noticed Thorin was off to the side not eating anything. She picked up a bowl and made her way over to him. She stood before him and cleared her throat. The dwarf prince looked at her sternly but his eyes immediately softened. He took the bowl greatfully from her hand "thank you" he said with a nod. Erica nodded back and went to sit by the fire until Thorin stopped her "wait...sit with me" he said quickly.

Erica smiled and sat next to him. They sat in an awkward silence until Thorin finally spoke up "why do you wear the gloves all the time?" He asked.

"Oh um...sometimes I can't control how I use my power. Gandalfs going to help me more." She explained. Thorin glanced at her gloved hands and took one in his "may I?" He asked. Erica nodded and let him slip one of them off. He gently touched her hand "cold as ice" he mumbled

"Does that bother you?" She asked. Thorin looked at her and smiled "not at all...can you show me more?" He asked. She nodded and waved her hand over the other creating a small ice sculpture of himself with a sword, then changed it to Gandalf. Time went on and all was quiet. Everyone apart from Fili, Kili and Gandalf were asleep.

"Hey Fili, look" Kili grinned pointing to Thorin and Erica who had fallen asleep next to each other. Her head had fallen on his shoulder while his own head rested on hers.

"Uncle has a crush I see...shall we get them together?" Kili asked with a smirk. Fili looked over at the sleeping pair and smiled. "Eh maybe later brother, leave them be" he said tossing another log into the fire.

Silence over flowed the company...well apart from the rumbling snores from Bombur. Bilbo sat up in aggravation. He knew now he'd never get back to sleep at all. He stood up, cracking his back and made his way over to his pony to which he had begun to like. He noticed Erica and Thorin asleep and softly smiled.

He approached his pony smiling and gave her an apple "Hello, girl. That's a good girl. It's our little secret, Myrtle; you must tell no one. sh, sh"

He suddenly hears a scream in the night air and becomes worried. He runs over to Fili and Kili in fright

"What was that?"

"Orcs." Kili spoke darkly.

Thorin jerks awake upon hearing the word "Orcs." Also waking Erica as well. She heard a scream and sat up right in fright but Thorin laid a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Um Orcs?" Bilbo asked

Fili nodded "Aye, Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." Kili continued

Bilbo looks away in fright while Fili and Kili look at each other and begin laughing. Erica came up behind them and whacked them on the heads. Before she could scold the Thorin stepped in "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Kili looked away in guilt "We didn't mean anything by it." He mumbled.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin snapped. He storms over to the edge of the cliff and looks over the horizon. Erica glared at the Durin brothers and looked to Thorin in concern

"Don't mind him, lassie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first."

"Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King."

Erica remembered this story all to well from her reading as well as the movie. It always seemed to get to her, how quick Thorin had lost his family...

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent...wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield...Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived......And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King." Balin finished with glassy eyes.

Thorin turns away from the view beyond the cliff; the entire Company is awake and standing in awe, staring at him. Thorin walks between them toward the fire.

"But the pale orc?..." Bilbo asked

"What happened to him?" Erica finished

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin answered coldly. Gandalf and Balin shared a look. Thorin was far off from that answer. Gandalf glanced at Erica who looked him in the eye and nodded, knowing to keep quiet..

Once everyone settled down Erica strolled over to the cliff side and gazed out into the horizon. She didn't notice Thorin come up beside her "penny for your thoughts?" He asked. Erica smiled a little "nothing much to tell. I'm just admiring the view" she said softly.

Thorin glanced at her from the corner of his eye "your an odd one Miss Erica...I like that about you. You are unique in your own way" he said truthfully. Erica looked at him "I'm glad someone does..." She said.

They both stood silently until a quiet yawn escaped Erica's mouth. "Go get some sleep. We have an early morning" Thorin said. Erica nodded and went to her bedroll between Fili and Kili. Thorin gazed around the camp and sighed.

'This is going to be a long quest' he thought.