Lina had left the village of Bree and has been traveling on the road for three days now. She decided to travel on foot rather then horse back to give her more time to think about everything. Thorin was going to be there. She didn't even know what she should say to him. The half-breed had a satchel over her shoulder as she strolled down the road. Lina loved being out in the wild, seeing the different scenery's along the way. One thing that still had her wondering was why the wizard insisted on meeting everyone in the Shire? Hobbit's didn't oppose when strangers came to their peaceful village but they weren't exactly overly friendly either. They kept their doors shut and their conversations short with visitors. And was Gandalf seriously thinking that a hobbit was going to be joining them, he had to be out of his mind. No hobbit would leave the comforts of his home to go on a dangerous quest that could end in lives lost.

The exiled princess set up camp for the night. It would be her last night alone before she would be from now on spending ever night with others until this quest was fulfilled. Lina wasn't to happy to be returning. Dale was ruined, that tragic day she could still hear her peoples screams in her mind, even in her dreams it still tortured her. She was selfish that day. Instead of giving her father's people - her people a leader that they could follow in these hard times, she left and abandon them. Lina tried to get some much need rest. She would be in the Shire tomorrow to see these 'others'. Lina already knew for certain who the leader was but everyone else, she could only guess. Growing up in Dale she only met a few dwarves of Erebor when she would accompany her father to the mountain. She met the King: Thror and his son Thrain - Thorin's father. Lina also had met Thorin's younger brother and sister. The half-breed rested her head against her satchel and slowly closed her eyes.

Morning came quicker then Lina had expected it too. She gathered up her things and was back on the road. She estimated she would be in the Shire by the late afternoon. As she walked, one thing suddenly occurred to her. The deranged wizard hadn't told her where she was to meet him to discuss this quest. Lina groaned at the fact she didn't noticed that sooner. The woman didn't even have anyway of contacting him to even find out this information. " Bloody wizard." Lina hissed under her breath. The half-breed would deal with this when she was in the Shire; until then she was going to enjoy the hike across the plain, listening to the sounds of different birds singing their melodies.

The sun was at it's highest peak, not a cloud to be seen in the sky. Lina was just coming over the ridge when she saw, just down the hill a charming little village. The woman's smile slowly faded; this was not her first time visiting the village of the little folk, who were commonly known as hobbits. The Shire reminded the young princess a lot of her home that she once lost. Her people at peace with each other, children who didn't have a care in the world, the laughs and happiness that filled the city and then it all turned to screams and death. Lina shook the image from her mind and let a sigh as she trudged down the path that led into Hobbiton. The woman kept her hood over her head, the hobbit's would stare at her as she passed by them. Although it didn't appear the woman was dangerous in any way but they kept their eyes peeled, wondering who this stranger was.

Lina had been wandering in the Shire for a couple of hours now. She was trying to think if the others had been told which home they were meeting in but then it struck her. If she were a wizard she would come up with some kind of mark for only those who needed to see it and it would be somewhere that wasn't to close to neighbors. Glancing at the hill side were only a few homes were to be seen she decided she would start their. She climbed up the dirt path, looking at each round door as she walked by; looking for something that wouldn't look like you'd see on a door. The young princess was coming up to another home, but this one was under a hill; at first it seemed like every other she had come across but then she had to back up a few paces to see on the door their was a glowing odd rune at the bottom. The woman opened the little gate, and slowly walked up the steps that was overgrown with grass and gave three distinct knocks on the green door. The half-breed could hear someone shuffling on the other side of door.

"I know your in there. Please open the door." Lina called out politely, listening in to see if the person would respond. She could hear the person muttering to himself and still hadn't budged. "Either you open this door, or I will." She threatened. Hobbit's didn't like to be threatened and when one was threatened they usually complied so they could avoid any painful outcome. The door began to open and revealed from behind it a short little fellow, that was just shorter then herself and was looking at her with a bit of confusion.

"Can I help..you?" The hobbit stuttered, but at the same time wondering why someone like her was doing here at his door.

"I'm here to see Gandalf the Grey. He said he would be meeting here, along with some others." She informed and the halfling looked at her in alarm.

"G-Gandalf? No no Gandalf here. I'm afraid you've come to the wrong house. You might want to try across the water or over the hill. I hear they have quite a lot of wizard sightings." The hobbit explained as he tried to close his door when Lina stuck her boot out to stop it, finding this all nonsense.

"I never said he was a wizard." Lina pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the fellow and he muttered under his breath.

"I assure you, that wizard is not coming back. I do not want to be part of this adventure he has proclaimed. I am Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End and I will not make myself be seen as fool, like my mother did." Bilbo uttered, as if the young woman wasn't still standing there, listening to his ever word.

"Well, Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End. I hate to disappoint you, but the wizard will be coming back, so are you going to let me in or not?" She demanded. Bilbo eyed this stranger cautiously, but finally stepped out of the way and gestured for her to come into his home. " Thank you." She said and walked into his home. The hobbit shut the door. It was getting close to dinner time, this woman had really shown up at his home at a terrible time, but it would be incredibly rude of him, if he didn't at-least offer his guest something to eat. He was sure, she had journeyed from somewhere far.

"Can I offer you something to eat miss.....?" Bilbo offered, realizing he did not know her name.

"You can call me Lina. And yes dinner would be quite lovely right now." She offered with a smile. She began to remove her cloak and placed it on the hobbit's coat rack and began wandering the home. It was quite the lovely place. It was cozy, and appeared to be well looked after. Lina walked into another room which appeared to be the halfling's sitting room and she let out a yawn and crawled onto the chair in front of the hearth. Lina closed her eyes, and instantly fell asleep. She was exhausted from her long journey.

"Miss Lina, would you fancy some tea before;--" Bilbo stopped when he saw that the young woman was sound asleep in his chair. He left down the hall to his room and came back out carrying a blanket and quietly crept over to the sleeping woman and draped the blanket over her and headed back into his kitchen to put on a pot a tea for himself and started preparing dinner for himself and his visitor.

A few hours went by and the half-breed's eyes slowly fluttered open. At first everything seemed blurry as she sat up straighter but eventually, after blinking a few more times her vision appeared normal. Lina stretched her arms above her head and she suddenly looked at what was covering her form. She got up and folded the blanket back up and wondered down the hall, following the smell of something yummy cooking all the way into the kitchen. " Ah Miss Lina, your awake. You must be hungry by now." Bilbo guessed.

"Please, just Lina." The woman insisted. The hobbit nodded and flipped the two pieces of fish in the frying pan. He fixed up both their plates. Lina had taken a seat in the dinning room and moments later Bilbo had brought their dinner. "Thank you Mr. Baggins, this look very delightful." The princess praised the halfling. Bilbo smiled and took a seat in front of the young woman. Lina had already started eating her delicious dinner, the hobbit was about to do the same when his doorbell rang. "Aren't you going to get that?" She asked as she took another bit out of her fish.

Bilbo got up from the table and walked over to the front door and pulled, open his door. To what appeared to be a dwarf on his front step. " Dwalin, at your service." the stranger introduced.

The hobbit let out a sudden whimper, before managing to get some words out." Uh...Bilbo Baggins...at yours. Do we know each other?" Bilbo questioned as the dwarf stepped into his home, forcing him to back out of the way.

"No." Dwalin hissed, like he had just been insulted to be asked such a thing. "Which way, laddie? Is it down here?" The dwarf asked, as he removed his cloak, and rolled it up.

"I-is what down where?" Bilbo demanded, wondering what this warrior looking dwarf was searching for in his home.

"Supper." The dwarf informed as he tossed his cloak at the hobbit. " He said there'd be food. And lots of it."

"He--he....said? Who...said?" The hobbit asked, standing their dumbfounded and he narrowed his eyes. He glanced back outside to make sure no more had come and he shut the door and followed the dwarf that was heading for his dinning room. Lina heard someone coming down the hall; too loud to be the hobbit. Dwalin marched right passed her and sat in the hobbit's chair and began helping himself to the food on the plate.

"Who are you?" Lina demanded. She knew a couple of dwarves, during her time when she lived in Dale, but this dwarf didn't seem familiar at all.

"Dwalin, Lass. Who are you? Are you here as well for the meeting?"

"Lina. And yes." She replied as she watched the dwarf. He had the typical manners of every dwarf she knew. Bilbo had crept back into the room, she almost didn't hear him. The hobbit looked at her, slightly frightened of their newest arrival.

"Do you know him?" Bilbo hissed, quietly at her as the dwarf continued to stuff his face.

"No." She answered shaking her head at him. Just then the doorbell rang again. The hobbit got up and went to the yet again, opening it to reveal yet another dwarf; an older dwarf.

"Balin, at your service." The elder dwarf greeted, with a bow. Lina's head snapped up, she recognized that voice. She got up from the table and slowly walked down the hall, towards the front door.

"Good evening." Bilbo simply stated, not going to make the same mistake the first time.

"Balin?" Lina spoke up, as she came out from the shadows.

"You know who this is Lina?" Bilbo questioned. The woman nodded.

"Lina, it's wonderful to see you again lass. You've grown up since I last saw you." The dwarf exclaimed, going a long with her.

"It's been too long." She agreed, practically pushing the hobbit aside to allow her friend to come in. She looped her arm around the dwarf and they wondered down the hall away from the hobbit.

" Since, when do you go by Lina?" Balin declared as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a long story, but please don't tell anyone Balin." She begged him.

"What happened to you? We searched everywhere for you that day." Balin pressed.

"I've changed Balin. I'm not the same girl you knew in Dale. That tragic day changed me. I lost everything." She uttered as she slumped against the wall. The elder dwarf nodded, and placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder in understanding.

"You're secrets safe with me."

More and more dwarves showed up. Lina didn't recognize most of them, but their were a few she could remember having seen a few times on her trips to the mountain with her father. She remembered one afternoon she had slipped and fell and cut her hand and she was taken to the medic known as Oin; he appeared to be even more deaf then before. Their were even a few young ones, that she thought were way to young to be on this quest. The hobbit was growing more flustered by the second. He argued with the wizard numerous times after he had shown up with the rest of the dwarves, wondering why they were all here. Lina continued to make her rounds, she still hadn't seen the one person she was dying to see. He appeared to be the only one unaccounted for, and the wait only made her grow more anxious. Part of her wondered if he would even recognize her. According to Balin, when she explained her story as to why she left and didn't follow her people, she learned that Thorin had believed she was dead this entire time. He also warned her to be prepared that he may not be exactly the dwarf she remembered him to be. She didn't believe him, but then again she wasn't who she used to be either.

The house was a giant mess. The dwarves had broken out in song as they cleaned the hobbit's dishes. Lina couldn't help but smile and laugh. Every night was a glorious feast night, when it came to the dwarves way of living. Their traditions however, upset the hobbit in numerous ways as he watched his dishes be flung around like toys. He eventually got into the kitchen only to see his dishes were perfectly clean and ready to be put away. Suddenly their was three very loud knocks coming from the front door. The household was silent. Lina could feel her heart begin to race; this was it. She was about to see her friend for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime for the half-breed.

"He's here."