Humming could be heard in the apple trees above, a song of old floating around the forest. A small woman sat among the coverage, a murky green hood covering the woman's face from peering eyes. Strands of black hair spilling from under her hood lay loosely down her body, an apple held firmly in one hand and a dagger in the other, carving off bits of apple and plopping them in her mouth. Occasionally dropping a piece down to the dark brown pony that was munching on the grass near to where it was tied.

Up further in the forest of Bree a tall old man sat upon a large black and white horse, a wooden staff in hand. As the horse ran at a slow jog down the worn path slowly to a stop under a large apple tree, where a soft tune flowing from the tree had caught the attention of the old man. As the old man climbed off his horse staff in hand, before walking over to the pony where apple cores laid strewn on the ground, the man craned his upwards to look for the owner of the tune and pony. There within the foliage sat a young dwarf woman with legs laying over the edge of the branch.

"Afternoon" The old man called up to the woman, strange he thought a dwarf in a tree. The woman peered over to the old man her tune ceasing "What brings a woman like yourself to this ungodly forest" The woman stood on the branch that was supporting her weight, before jumping down.

Landing with a thump she turned and faced the man, taking off her hood revealing startling dark brown eyes nearly black. Small braids woven in her hair accompanied with beads at the end, freckles laid over her nose and cheeks. Light hairs caught the light on her chin, showing her dwarven appearance. Her light pink lips rose in a small as she looked at the man in front of her.

"What is an old man like you doing here in these woods" The woman asked lifting an eyebrow, the man smiled at the woman "I'm here on business that involves a young dwarf woman such as yourself" He said nodding towards the woman, leaning slightly on his staff, the dwarf woman tilted her head slightly. "And why would you be looking for someone like me?"

"Because of your relationship with Thorin Oakenshield" The dwarf's eyes widened at the name, she breathed a heavy sigh before turning to her pony who had stopped munching on the grass and now had begun chewing at the rucksack on the ground. The woman picked up the sack and attached it to the ponies' back along with her sword.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked as she shakily placed the saddle on her pony, "It has to do with reclaiming Erebor" The woman's hands slipped from tying the saddle, "Erebor?" Her voice croaked, the image of the Lonely Mountain imprinted in her mind

She turned slowly to look at the old man, "I'll join" her voice wavered, "Good, good meet us at the Shire, Bag End don't be late" He replied turning and climbing on his horse, "Gandalf, does he know?" The woman asked her eyes on the man perched upon the horse, "He knows of two joining the company, not specifically who" the man Gandalf replied before kicking his steed and riding off to the Prancing Pony

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Standing in front of a round green door, the blue marking standing clear in the night, my hood sat in place on my head covering my face with a heavy shadow. I raise my hand knocking three separate knocks, before lowering it and crossing it across my chest.

The door opened to show a hobbit with a cross look on his face, "Risa Kardan at your service" I say with a bow as he fully opened the door "Look I think you have the wrong house" He growled closing the door, I slam my hand against the door "Is this Bag End of the Shire" I ask in a hurry, I do hope I did not have the wrong hobbit hole "Er, yes it is but.." the hobbit began stuttering

"Great, sorry I'm terrible at directions" I say pushing open the door and stepping in, taking off my hood my midnight black hair loosely falling down my back, "Er, you don't know where I can put my stuff Mr...?" I ask turning to look at the surprised hobbit, he cleared his throat "Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, and just by the door I suppose" I smile at Mr Baggins unsheathing my duel swords and two daggers within my boot, and then taking off my quiver full of arrows and bow before wrapping them in my coat and laying them in a neat pile by the green door

"Thank you Mr Baggins" I chirp, I turn and peer around the lovely home hear loud noises coming from down the hall. I wander down to the area to see two dwarfs talking, one an elderly dwarf with white hair, his beard flicking off at the end into two directions next to him was a taller dwarf the top half of his head was bald and a tattoo across it and a scar running from half way in to his eye

"Balin? Dwalin?" My voice wavered at the two; they turned around their faces morphing into one of surprise "Risa?" Balin took two long strides over to me and pulled me into a long hug, my arms wrapped around him, he pulled away a glassy look to his eyes. Then being pulled into a hug by Dwalin, I laid my head upon his chest

A knock sounded from the front of the home and a grumble from Mr Baggins, told us he had it. "Where have you been lass?" Dwalin asked as we pulled away from the hug "Around" My voice wavered as I looked up at him "How has he been?" I ask my voice barely above a whisper, "Not well"

"It's nice this place did you do it yourself?" A voice boomed from the entrance "No, it's been in the family for years. That's my mother's glory box, can you please not do that?!" Mr Baggins' angry voice came from the entrance "Fili, Kili come and give us a hand" Dwalin yelled from where he was moving the table "Mister Dwalin" The same voice from before laughed

"Let's shove this in the hallway; otherwise we'll never get everyone in." Balin says, Mr Baggins looks worriedly between everyone holding a pile of equipment "Ev­...everyone? How many more are there?" He asks but the poor hobbit got unheard with this rowdy bunch "Where do you want this?" Kili and Fili asked each holding a piece of furniture

The doorbell rings very hard and longer than before. Bilbo, in anger, walks quickly toward the door, a loud crash occurs as he walks probably dropping the equipment, I sat upon a small table in the room watching as the small group finished moving everything around, one of the two dwarves I did not know turn and smile at me

"I don't think I formally introduced myself, Kili Oakenshield at your service" The darker hair dwarf bowed a cheeky grin upon his face, he was young but look very much like Thorin "Fili Oakenshield at your service" The sandy blond dwarf next to Kili said with a bow, he look much like Dis my heart wrenched at my old friends name

"Risa Kardan at your service" I say with a small bow, their eyes widened "The Risa Kardan, you fought alongside our uncle" They say cheerfully, my heart clenched at memory of that day, "Yes I did" My voice wavered

Their eye's brightened Kili opened his mouth ready to speak, but laughter from the doorway interrupted him. There stood eight dwarves of all sizes stood there, many I knew but some I did not. We soon left the makeshift dining room to grab the food from Mr Baggins pantry, grabbing a pile of sausages I make my way back to the table and dropping them down in a neat bunch

I then turned and walked back to the pantry dodging Kili and Fili who were carrying a small barrel of ale perhaps, "Risa, Oin, Gloin" Gandalf was counting off on his fingers as I walked past, entering the pantry again I grab the closest thing I could find which was a plate of some sort of jam or jelly, and placed it on the table with the other assortment of food

I sat myself down in the corner at the back of the makeshift dining room with a plate full of food and a glass of ale, I watched in amusement as Mr Baggins tried to stop the dwarves from moving his belongings around. We then began to have a grand feast once we were all seated; Kili was seated next to me and at the end of the table was Bombur. "Bombur, catch!" Bofur yells at his brother, throwing an egg at him, which Bombur catches in his mouth in which everyone including myself cheers

I stood up and walk over to the pantry that Mr Baggins is staring at with disgust, "Sorry about that, they get a tad bit overboard" I say leaning against the pantry wall, with a mug of ale in my hand. The loud voices in the dining room died down, must be drinking and then they began to burp. A giggle escaped my mouth at Mr Baggins' disgusted face

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The meal finishes, and everyone leaves the table and began walking about, Kili came over and laid his arm over my shoulders "So Risa, where have you been all these years" Sighing I shrug off his arm, "Another time" I mutter before walking away to the dining room to help clear the table

"I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom; They've all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" Mr Baggins angry voice, growled to Gandalf in the hallway, Ori began to walk over with his plate "Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?"

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me." Fili takes the plate from Ori and throws it to Kili, who throws it behind his back to Bifur, who is standing at the sink in the kitchen. Everyone began passing me the plates in which I threw them to Fili

"Excuse me, that's my mother's West Farthing crockery, it's over a hundred years old!" Mr Baggins' cried out as the plates began to fly past him. Everyone at the tablet begin rhythmically drumming on the tablet with utensils and their fists. "And ­can you not do that? You'll blunt them!" Mr Baggins' voice cried out "Ooh, d'hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." Bifur's voice jokes to everyone

"Blunt the knives, bend the forks
Smash the bottles and burn the corks
Chip the glasses and crack the plates, that's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat
Pour the milk on the pantry floor
Splash the wine on every door
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl
Pound them up with a thumping pole
When you've finished, if any are whole
Send them down the hall to roll ...
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

Everyone began to sing, and cleaning up at the same time, Mr Baggins' came around the corner huffing in anger only to stop and see all the dishes were done with all of us crowding around them laughing

Threeloud knocks caused everyone to fall silent, "He is here" Gandalf voicedeveryone's thoughts