The Orc pack was becoming overwhelming, and Thorin's company were out manned, and out matched.

An Orc swung its axe, and knocked Kili's sword from his hands. His eyes widened and he ducked its next swing, but tripped over his feet in the setting sunlight. He fell onto his back, hitting the ground hard. The Orc raised its axe, and Kili scrambled backwards, trying to put some distance between the creature and himself, as he struggled to pull an arrow from his back, to at least defend himself long enough for one of the others to spot, and help him.

A feminine battle cry sounded and a dark, female figure, dropped down from the tree above him, slamming a battle axe into the Orcs head, killing it instantly.

Kili's eyes widened in shock at her sudden appearance. She wasted no time, and left the axe in its place, drawing two blades from down facing back sheaths, and sprinting forward. She ducked and weaved like a dancer as she slaughtered the Orcs, practically two at a time. Her force alone overpowered the creatures, and as she glanced back to see an Orc going Kili's way, she spun back to help him again.

Kili pulled out his bow, his sword still out of reach, his shock having kept him from getting back up. Not that she'd needed any help taking them down. He notched an arrow and drew the string, but the Orc cried out as the woman swung low and cut the backs of his knees open, before giving a hard kick to his back. He fell forward and landed head first on the other side of her axe, the very one she'd embedded in the first Orc.

Kili's heart pounded as he breathed heavily, and stared up at the filthy blonde woman, every last Orc in the company, dead. She held out her hand, as the setting sun behind her, silhouetted her like she were a goddess sent from the Heavens to protect him.

"Beautiful." Kili whispered out as he took her callused hand, and she hauled him to his feet. She blushed under the layers of dirt on her tanned skin and pushed, blood and dirt matted hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, suddenly bashful.

"Oh, ah, thank you. I've actually never looked worse." She said bashfully, as she looked down at him. She wasn't much taller than him, only an inch and a half. Kili shook his head and smiled at her cheekily, having not intended on her hearing him, but still standing by his statement.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. And from someone so handsome." She said a little more confidently, seeing his smirk. Kili straightened proudly, before bowing and holding out his hand to her. She gave it to him, and smiled excitedly as he kissed the grimy back. She giggled still holding his hand.

"Kili. At your service." He introduced himself. The woman smiled brightly and mock curtsied.

"Asta. At yours." She grinned in return before her smile fell and she grimaced.

"I never thought that seeing a handsome man would make me feel so faint." She said almost to herself. Kili spat a laugh as he let her hand go. She smiled sheepishly, but it dropped again, and she swayed slightly on her feet.

As she took a stumbling step forward she winced and hissed through her teeth. Asta gripped her right shoulder and glanced over it, at her back, before looking back at Kili.

"Oh," She said, drawing out the sound in sudden realisation. "I've been stabbed. That make so much mor-" She slurred the 'or' before slowly tilting to the side. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she toppled over. Kili jumped forward and caught her, falling to his knees as he held her by her shoulders.

He rolled her onto her stomach as he rested her on the grass. In the dying sun he easily spotted the Orc knife sticking out from her back, midway down, and closer to her right side.

Kili's brows pinched in determination as he pulled the dagger from her back, quickly applying pressure to the wound.

"Oin!" Kili called to the wise old Dwarf. He was already moving towards the pair, all having witnessed the exchange between their odd new Hero and their companion.

Oin pulled herbs from his pack and crushed them between his fingers before pushing them into Asta's wound. He pressed a folded square of fabric over the injury before using strip's of fabric to bandage her. As Oin quickly worked with Kili's help, Thorin grew impatient and agitated.

He was grateful for her help, but they couldn't afford to stop. If they rested now, they'd only be overrun by Orcs again before dawn could strike. They had to travel through the night.

"Kili, Oin! Leave her now. We must continue, or risk being attacked again." Thorin said as he moved through the others to stop by his nephew. He was on edge from the battle, his head on the swivel for new dangers.

"What?! No! We can not just leave her! She saved my life. Twice!" Kili argued as Oin pulled the woman's shirt back down again, having done all he could, confident she'd recover. After all, she seemed to be quite the fighter.

"Kili, you have done all you can. If we do not leave now we risk being overrun by them again, and we can not take such a battle so soon after the last. If we keep moving the Orcs will follow our trail, they will not even cross her path." Thorin explained as he moved away from them again to ready the others, checking to see Bilbo was still alive and with them.

Oin pat Kili's shoulder in sympathy before standing and moving away from the pair to collect the rest of his things. Fili moved to kneel by his brothers side as he watched the gears turn in Kili's head.

Nori and Ori heaved an Orc off the other to reveal Asta's Battle axe. Nori pulled it from the Orcs head with a grunt and a grin, the pair impressed with its craftsmanship. It was definitely crafted by Dwarves. Who was this Asta?

"I will carry her. Until she wakes." Kili said as his head jutted up towards his uncle. Fili's brows shot up in surprise at his brothers antics. Could this woman mean so much to him, in such a short time? He didn't even know her. Thorin sighed. He knew very well of the stubbornness of his nephew, why it reflected his own, but he feared he wouldn't win this argument.

Thorin finally yielded and Kili relaxed, glad his Uncle hadn't argued. With the help of his brother, Kili lifted Asta onto his back, and they began their journey again. Only stopping once, briefly in the night, Asta not waking till mid-morning the following day.

Asta jostled slightly before snapping up and choking poor Kili as she nearly fell.

"Hey. You're awake. How are you feeling?" Kili asked after adjusting his hold on the short woman, to keep her upright and steady.

"Kinda like the rear end of a horse. Valar I smell like one to!" Asta said, causing Kili and Fili to burst into laughter, as the company spared them a glance, but paid them no mind.

"You know, surprisingly, this isn't the weirdest place I've woken up." Asta commented with a grin, as the brothers chuckled at her.

She pat Kili's shoulder, "I think I've got it from here." She said as he let go of her legs and she dropped to her feet. She stumbled for a second and Fili placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. She gained her footing quickly and smiled and nodded at him in thanks. The three began walking again, keeping up with the others. Asta was indeed a fighter.

"So. You're Kili, and you two look like, so you must be brothers, which makes you Fili. And that must only mean, the brooding princess up the front is your Uncle, Thorin, King under the mountain. You're on your way to reclaim Erebor, am I right?" Asta asked as Kili and Fili looked at her in shock. This time the whole company had heard her speak and had stopped to look at her.

"How do you know of our quest?" Thorin demanded as he moved back through the company to stand threateningly over the woman.

"Who are you?" He demanded harshly as the others all listened in, intrigued and confused. Asta seemed fairly unfased by his attitude.

"My name is Asta, daughter of Thedgroli, and Delwyn. I am a halfbreed, my father a Dwarf and my mother a human, hence my height. I've got eyes and ears in both worlds. I hear things." Asta explained with the shrug of her shoulders, as they all stared at her. Thorin squinted his eyes in suspicion.

"No one knew of our quest but those on it." He stated as he stared her down. She didn't back down from his penetrating gaze but met it with an unfased one.

"Thedgroli Flatfall?" Balin asked as he stepped forward in the company, to come into the sight of Asta as he looked more closely at the girl, now fully visible in the sunlight. She was an utter mess that was for sure. Covered in dirt and blood, both hers and others.

"Yes, he's my father." Asta said now mildly confused as she studied the old Dwarf with curiosity. Balin's eyes lit up and he smiled.

"You're his daughter! Asta Bell Flatfall." Balin said in realisation as he put two and two together. "I know her father. We go way back. I told him of our journey because I knew his daughter was out here, wondering Middle-earth, and I thought she might be interested in joining our company. When he didn't get back to me before we left I assumed you had declined." Balin explained to everyone, as Thorin looked between the two in bewilderment. Asta shook her head with a smile.

"I recieved the news late, and was more than a few days behind you all. I'd never met any of you, so I wasn't entirely sure who I was looking for, yet, the Valar bring us together. What a small world." Asta commented with a breathy laugh, as she looked around the company before her eyes fell back on Thorin, his face now unreadable.

"Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain. I Asta Bell Flatfall wish to join your company, to aid you in reclaiming the home of our ancestors, if you'll have me." Asta said as she gave a bow, wincing as her wound pulled and stung. Thorin remained quiet for a long time, and Asta remained in her bow, out of respect.

"Welcome to the company." Thorin finally said. Asta's face lit up with a smile, as she stood up straight and shook Thorin's hand, his face showing no joy, only suspicion and judgement.

As the days bled into weeks, and then into months, Asta grew close with Kili. He had quite the precocious spirit, and Asta matched it, never failing to entertain the company with their jokes or blatant stupidity.

One night, as they stayed in Mirkwood, the foul forest making rest hard, Kili moved to sit beside Asta. She sat on a large raised root, above the rest of the company, keeping an eye on the shifting woods.

"Hey." Was his simple greeting. She smiled at him before turning back to the woods. She felt uneasy in the strange forest. They sat in silence for a while, before Kili once again broke it. He cleared his throat nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Asta eyed him through the sides of her vision, with curiosity. The Durin didn't get nervous.

"So, I was wondering," Kili trailed off, almost loosing his nerve. He glanced back at her, briefly meeting her eyes, before looking away again. With a frustrated sigh, Kili straightened his back and turned, throwing one leg over the large root so he was facing her. With a look of determination he puffed out his chest and, rather roughly, gripped one of Asta's hands, bringing it between his own as he met her eyes. Asta's eyes widened, as she stared from their joined hands, to the Durin's face in confusion.

"Asta. I know we met on such odd terms, and the only time we've been able to spend together has been practically running for our lives, but, but" He almost teetered off, but as Asta's face softened slightly, and a small smile lifted the edges of her lips, he once again found his courage.

"I wish to Court you. I wish to express to you the fondness I've come to feel. I believe that you are my One, and-and, I know this because I've never felt like this for anyone before, and I wish to spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much you've come to mean to me." Kili finished strongly as he felt the heat rise from his neck, to his face, and to the tip of his ears. Despite his blushed red appearance, he wore a look of determination as he gripped Asta's hand tighter, holding it between them as he dared not look away from her brown eyes.

Asta's hint of a smile turned brighter, as she began to grin at the youngest Durin brother. With her free hand, the halfbreed raised it to rest on Kili's cheek.

"I thought you'd never ask."