The company rode on with quiet chatter between them. Akara remained at the rear of the line whilst Senka took to the front as if to herd the company. Bilbo seeing his chance trotted up towards Balin and slowed to a walk, by his left side. He looked to the old dwarf with curiosity edged to his eyes.

"So who exactly are the devils daughters? And why are they called such a name?" He questioned. Balin looked to Bilbo with a slightly scared look in his eye as he glanced to Senka who was not far in front of him "well it said that they wander the whole of Middle Earth killing all who stand in their path. They may look like innocent young girls. But they are truly evil." Balin shivered.

"Rumour has it that even the devil himself couldn't handle them!" Bofur whispered to Bilbo as he turned slightly in his saddle. Bilbo's eyes widened greatly at his statement "um, oh my erm. I can understand how Akara back there could get that name but, Senka, she's just so...nice?" He whispered as he watched the very girl laugh with Gandalf. "Dont let that fool you laddie. She may look innocent enough but she can be ever so deadly." Balin said.

"You do know I can hear you right?" Akara growled from behind causing the three too jump a little in fright.

" But how?" Bilbo asked not understanding she could hear their quiet conversation so far.

" Just because she can't see, does mean cannot hear... in fact her hearing is better." Senka called from the front as they fell into silence. This silence blanket hung heavily in the air until they arrived at a small indent into the face of a cliff. Thorin decided it was time to make camp, calling for a fire to be made. Soon everyone was settled down with the fire burning brightly and the sky had darkened to a blue shade, not too far from being black.

It was adorned with brightly shining stars and a single crescent moon. It did not take long for the company to doze off into a slumber, but few could not sleep. Akara and Senka both sat side by side, Senka sat cleaning her sword with her hood laying down her back, allowing her bright red wavy hair to flow down. She was humming away softly to herself as Akara sat with her back against the wall, her hood up and hung just above her blindfold over her eyes. Her red hair fell down her shoulders, in smooth and gentle waves. She listened to the crackling off the fire, that sat in the centre of the camp. She heard as Bilbo sat up, unable to sleep over the loud snoring of Bombur to the side of him. He stood up with a stretch and sigh, Senka sheathed her sword and placed it to her side. Senka smiled as she watched Bilbo walk over to the horses and feed Myrtle an apple he was hiding in his pocket. She glanced to her left and saw the Akara too had a soft almost unnoticeable smile.

" If only we all had the luxury life of a hobbit." Akara whispered sensing Senka's surprise at her. Senka nodded with a 'mm' before turning back to Bilbo. But Akara smile dropped when they heard a screech off in the distance, she and Senka both reached for their swords and gripped the hilt ready for an attack.

" What was that?" Bilbo asked with fear in his voice.

"Orcs." Kili whispered catching Akara's face as it looked in his direction. He was unsure if she was looking to him or not, and if she was. Was it a glare or a fearful glance?

"Orcs?" Bilbo asked as he practically jumped back towards the comfort of the company. Thorin jolted awake at the slight mention of Orcs,

" Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there." Fili spoke in a hush voice as he pulled his pipe to his mouth. "The lowlands are crawling with them."

" They struck in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." Kili continued from his elder brother. Akara echoed a small growl as they laughed, thinking that Orcs where a joke.

" You think that's funny?" Thorin called angrily as he stood up and walked in front of Bilbo. "You think a night raid by Orcs is joke?" He asked his nephews in anger.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili sulked to his uncle looking down in shame at his words.

" No you didn't, you know nothing of the world." He hissed and walked away from the camp, passed Gandalf to stand at the cliffs edge.

" Don't mind him laddie," Balin began as he walked to the right side of Fili and Kili, looking down to them. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs." Akara stood up and walked towards Thorin as Balin began to talk about the old prince's past battle with Azog. She stood to his left and looking out over the cliff.

" We are fine, they are about four miles north west from here. Heading easterly." She whispered to him with a sigh.

" How do you know?" Thorin asked looking at her skeptically as she never moved an inch.

" I can hear them, their cries and foot falls. Just because I cannot see, does not render me useless." She smiled to him softly.

" I see." Thorin said as he turned around softly to looked at all of the dwarves standing looking towards him.

" They hold so much respect for you, I can feel the loyalty drifting from them." Akara whispered to him. "You are lucky."

"Indeed." He muttered as he walked back towards the company, leaving Akara standing at the cliff edge.

"And the pale Orc? What happened to him." Bilbo asked wanting to know more. Akara's jaw clench tightly at the name being uttered, balling her fists until the knuckles were pure white.

" He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin spat as he sat back down. Akara could feel the doubt drifting in the air, as if two people knew what he said to be a unknowing lie. She was about to asked them why they felt such before she was stopped.

" And what about you two? What's is your stories?" Bilbo asked wanting to understand the girls and how they came to their situation.

" Much like the dwarves here, we had a home." Senka began while she fiddled with her fingers. "Our parents were dwarves, living peacefully among mankind. At least we were, my village was wiped out by Azog's Orcs. Leaving only me, I was wounded badly and ready for death." She spokes with sadness of her past.

" Until Akara found me. I thought she was there to kill me. But it turns out she too was in the same predicament as myself. Her village was burnt to the ground while she was away, only when she returned. Azog took her and scarred her, saying he would finish the job next they meet." Senka sighed heavily.

" I followed after him, for a good year before I found Senka. Before I found her, I was searching for him; only so he could give me what he promised." Akara spoke decide to tell her story.

" And what was that?" Kili asked leaning forward showing he was listening intensively to her story.

" Death." She whispered turning her head to the ground. "But after I found Senka, I had a responsibility. She saved me from myself." Akara said and smiled to Senka, who chuckled at her response.

" We saved each other." Senka replied immediately with a smile.

" For years we trained day in day out. Never stopping to rest. I knew it would be years before we were even close to matching Azog's strength. So when a man approached us, offering the power to be able to defeat him. We took it instantly." Akara spoke but fell into silence.

" But such power came at a price." Senka spoke looking to the ground, not knowing if she wanted to continue her words.

" What was the price?" Thorin asked fearing his words and the words that would leave their mouths.

" For me, it was my ability to touch. I can no longer touch another living thing, without causing them excruciating pain. I was no longer able to sleep beside Akara because I would hurt her, I have forgotten what the warmth feels like when I touch another." Senka spoke was a weak voice, showing her feelings of sadness towards the curse.

"My sight was stolen from me. Granted I can still see, but my eyes. They are said to be the windows to the very depth of Hell itself. Anyone or anything I look upon, is surely to die of fear. That is why I hid my eyes. I could not bear to harm anyone that has good will." Akara muttered.

" Another few effects of this curse: we can no longer grow old. We are stuck this way for eternity, we have abilities which allow us to control certain things -my own being shadows, Akara's being weather- and also our hair. It coloured our hair the colour of the red rose." Senka spoke as they all fell into a deep silence. The company no longer felt fear and caution towards to the girls. No they now felt pity at the life they have lived and how people have shunned them for being true evil.

Something that was clear to the company, that they were anything but evil.