The next morning I woke up and noticed a cloak was laid atop me. At first I was confused, but then the calming scent of pine needles and musk hit me. Instantly I knew the cloak belonged to Thorin. How he had managed to get it atop me with me waking up was a miracle. I must have been more drained than I thought. Standing up I stretched and walked over to Thorin who was in the process of packing up his small bag of items. “You didn't have to give this to me ya know? I wasn't cold. I'm built to handle weather like this.” I handed the cloak to him and he took it with a smile, something I rarely saw him do. “But I do want to thank you,” I told him.

“You gave my nephew your blanket, you took his watch so he could sleep, you go out hunting, you scout ahead, and you protected us from orcs. It is I who should be thanking you.” He grabbed my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. His blue eyes shining as he did so. Okay seriously these damn dwarves need to stop it. My poor heart can't handle this nonsense. It was bad enough crushing on them back in my world, but now I'm with them and it's driving me bonkers. “Yeah well I promised to help so I'm helping. It's no biggie.” I waved off his thanks like what I had done was nothing because to me it was. I was simply doing my best to do as I had promised.

Thorin shook his head. “And you say I'm the stubborn one. You have trouble accepting thanks even when it's deserved.” He nudged my shoulder playfully. This was a side of him that didn't come out often, a side we never really got to see in the book or movies, and I cherished the fact that I was getting to know him better than anyone other than the current company and his sister probably ever would. “Alright, alright you make a fair point. My mom always did say I was as stubborn as a bull, but maybe I'm just as stubborn as a dwarf?” I teased. A small laugh left him and he nodded his head. “Aye I believe you might be onto something there, Ria. Us dwarves can be stubborn,” he agreed.

“Well I'm gonna get the others up and help get camp together. I'm sure you want to head out soon right?” I asked. Thorin nodded, letting me know I was correct. I gave him another smile before I went over to wake Fili and Kili. However when I returned to the spot in which I had been sleeping Kili was already awake, but he hadn't moved out from under my blanket. I shook my head and laughed.

“Why are you still laying there?”

“Because your blanket is soft and it smells like you. I don't want to get up. I like laying here cuddled up all cozy.”

I raised a brow. “And what do I smell like exactly?”

“Like vanilla, oak, spiced mead and something definitively wild.”

My mouth dropped open. I hadn't been expecting that answer, but I was definitely okay with it. “Well I appreciate that, Kee. I really do, but Thorin wants to head out soon. So everyone needs to get up and eat something,” I said. A heavy sigh left him, but he got up and handed me the blanket back, letting me put it in my bag. I went to wake Fili up after, but Kili waved me away saying he would do it.

After everyone was up and we had a meager meal of dried oats, fruit, and bread we began to head out. It wasn't long until the thunderstorm hit and I knew exactly what was coming next.

As predicted the thunder battle commenced and Bilbo almost fell to his death. I snarled at Thorin for his cruel words to the hobbit and we went inside the cave that would soon have us falling down into a trap. It didn't matter to me that Thorin would soon be taking back his words and apologizing. In my mind he should have never said them in the first place. Thanks to the rain everyone was soaked and cold. And even though I knew I wouldn't be able to get my clothes back, I bit the bullet and shifted because the wet clothes were uncomfortable and even I couldn't stay warm that way. I was just glad all the blankets had stayed dry inside our packs allowing the others to have some form of warmth since Thorin wouldn't allow a fire.

I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. Knowing that soon we would be dealing with the goblin king and his horde of minions my senses were on high alert. With a sigh I went over and joined Bofur on watch at the beginning of the cave. “So how's it going?” I asked.

Bofur looked down at me and smiled. “Things could be worse. At least we're all alive.”

“Always the optimistic one. I love that about you cómico. I really do.”

“What's that mean lass? That funny word?”

“It means comedian. You're always one with a joke and so I thought it appropriate,” I explained. However before he could say something in return Bilbo walked up ready to head back to Rivendell. I decided that wasn't a conversation I needed to take part in and went over next to Dwalin and laid my head on his stomach. He didn't wake up, but he did place his hand on my head, right between my ears.

I could hear the sand sifting and jerked my head up. Looking to Thorin I knew he had noticed as he started yelling at everyone to get up. It wouldn't matter. We never would have made it out of the cave in time. I grunted as I hit the platform/basket whatever the hell that thing the goblins called a front porch was. I stood up and moved out of the way as the others came crashing down. Thorin was giving me a pointed look; blaming me for this. “I've told you certain things need to happen. And while absolutely annoying this is one of them,” I huffed just as the nasty little creatures swarmed us.

If not for my horrible experience with the trolls I probably would have bit them, but instead I just swatted at them knocking them away from me. After a few got knocked from the bridge they backed off.

“Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?” The goblin king looked them all over critically. “Spies? Thieves? Assassins?” He asked.

I pushed my way to the front of the group and growled at him. “Man you have to be the dumbest goblin in the history of goblins. Can't ya see they're dwarves? And I'm a wolf? See fangs, claws all that jazz?” I opened my mouth showing off my sharp canines.

“And what are you doing in these parts?”

“Well we were trying to sleep. It's an important thing ya know. But then poof goes the floor and now we're standing here in front of you. The ugliest sonofabitch I have ever seen. And that's saying something cause I've seen cave trolls and some pretty ugly people.”

The goblin king narrowed his eyes and snarled at me. I simply gave him a wolfish grin in return. “Very well. If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk. Bring up the mangler. Bring up the bonebreaker.” his narrowed his eyes on me with deadly intent, but I knew I wasn't the one he would choose. “Start with the youngest,” he said.

Then all hell broke loose as Thorin came up beside me causing the goblin to taunt him with the news of Azog. But then Gandalf showed up and we were all fighting our ways out of the tunnels. My earlier plan not to bite the goblins went out the window when we began fighting and my wolf instincts took over. I swatted goblins away and tackled them to the ground ripping their throats out. It was an unpleasant taste, but I was going to protect my dwarves. Nothing was going to stop me from doing so.

When that stupid fat goblin showed back up I bared my teeth at him. “What are you going to do now wizard?” Gandalf stabbed him in the eye with his staff and then slashed him across the belly. “That will do it,” the goblin king said just before Gandalf finished him off.