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The Company traveled until sunset before they began searching for a campsite. Once they found a suitable clearing, they set up camp there, as well as started a fire. Kili, Fili, and Valadhiel went off to go hunting for an evening meal, leaving the others there to sit around, nap, or chat.

"Shh, I think there's something nearby." Valadhiel whispered to Kili and Fili as they walked along. They all hushed and walked along quietly, then peered out from behind the bushes. There, they saw a buck. Valadhiel silently drew an arrow, knocked it into her bow, pulled the string back, and aimed carefully. Then, she released the arrow, sending it into an area of the deer's neck that killed it quickly.

"Nice shot, Vala." Kili commented. It was really his first time seeing her in action, as she'd oftentimes go hunting alone. He'd assumed that she always hunted in her leopard form, but it seemed that she didn't need to.

"Thank you, Kili." Valadhiel replied, smiling at him before she began walking over to the deer.

"I'll carry it back." Fili offered as he lifted it by its antlers. Along the way, Kili ended up helping him carry it. Soon, they made it back to the camp and began to prepare it for the meal. Bilbo had to look away when it came time to gut it, though Valadhiel didn't blame him. It was her least favorite part of the preparation, and it still churned her stomach.

As the meal was being prepared, Valadhiel, Bilbo, and a few of the dwarves all pitched in to help since some had brought salt along whereas others had found other things to season it with. It was soon ready, so they all sat down and took a helping. Valadhiel refused to take anything until everyone had eaten, since she could simply go out and catch something else if need be. She finally did get to eat a little something, though, and everyone was satisfied with the meal.

It was now late, and rather dark out. The fire still crackled, and the ponies either stood still or grazed. Many of the dwarves slept, Thorin being one of the sleeping dwarves, Gandalf was smoking his pipe, Kili and Fili were sitting by the fire on a rock platform, Bilbo was trying to sleep, and Valadhiel was sitting on a log as she cleaned the arrow she'd taken back from the buck.

Upon seeing movement, she looked up to see Bilbo get up, then slipped something to one of the ponies. She smiled as she listened to him tell the pony, Myrtle, that it was their little secret and she couldn't tell anyone, but she then looked up quickly when she heard a shriek in the distance, setting her arrow back into her quiver.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked, walking closer to the fire and over to Kili and Fili, sounding slightly frightened.

"Orcs." Kili replied, looking out into the distance a moment before he looked at Fili, then smirked a little before he wiped the look off his face and turned his gaze to Bilbo.

"Orcs?" Bilbo asked fearfully. He'd only ever heard of such creatures, but never before had he ever thought he'd hear one, and he sure hoped he never got to see one.

"Throat-cutters." Fili said. "There'll be dozens of them out there."

"The lone-lands are crawling with them." Kili then added. "They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." After seeing the look on Bilbo's face, he and Fili began to laugh.

Valadhiel got up, walked over to them, and gave them a stern look, almost an unhappy glare. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Not only that, but scaring the hobbit to death? No.

Thorin had woken up the moment they'd mentioned the orcs, and he'd also walked over, about to scold his nephews. Valadhiel, however, beat him to it. It seemed she'd had a history with the orcs as well.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili replied, looking over at the elf, wondering why she'd acted like scaring the hobbit was a crime. Come on, they all knew how dangerous orcs were. Why not kid around a bit?

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin told them in a harsh tone, then he walked away and stopped at a small cliff.

Valadhiel listened as Balin began telling Bilbo, Kili, and Fili a story, sitting down against a tree again. She gazed at Thorin as Balin told the story, though only when Thorin wasn't looking her way. It would be rather strange of her to just be staring at him, after all. She had dazed off and hadn't heard some of the story, though now she looked over at Balin to pay attention to what was left of the story.

"He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent... wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield." Balin said. "Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken."

Valadhiel looked at Thorin after Balin spoke. "Oakenshield." She whispered. The title made sense now, and it sounded like it was quite something to behold. She then registered that Azog's name had been mentioned and she clenched her fist, then bit her lower lip. Azog.

Thorin, when Valadhiel hadn't been paying attention, looked over at her. He had noticed her clench a fist when Azog had been mentioned, and he was curious as to whether or not she knew him personally, or hated him for what he'd done to others. He wouldn't ask, though. Anyone who had experienced an encounter with that orc no doubt had painful memories.

"There is one I could call king."

"But the Pale Orc; what happened to him?" Bilbo asked, looking at Balin, having obviously been interested in the story.

Thorin turned around to look at the hobbit, as well as his nephews, who also intently listened. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Valadhiel looked at Thorin when he spoke up, then she leaned her back against the tree trunk and sighed as she looked up at the night sky. She sure hoped that she would never have to see that orc filth ever again. She also hoped that the Black Dragon had died long ago by now, too. It was said he'd been destroyed in the war. She could only hope that it was true.

"Let's all get some rest." Thorin then added before he walked back over to his sleeping mat. "We have a long road ahead of us."

Valadhiel watched as Bilbo, Balin, Kili, and Fili settled down for the night, then she looked over at Gandalf. He still sat quietly, and had by this time finished with his pipe. Despite everyone else going to bed, however, she continued to sit still. After a moment, she got up and moved over to the fire.

Thorin hadn't gone to sleep just yet, but was rather lying on his side and staring at the crackling fire, therefore noticed when Valadhiel moved over to it. She looked to be angry, and even sad. She stared into the fire and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them close.

After watching her for a moment, he got to his feet, walking over to the elf, then sat down on a log nearby. After she remained silent, and after he remained silent for a moment, he spoke up. "What's wrong?"

Valadhiel glanced over at him before continuing to stare into the fire. "Nothing. Or nothing important. It's a matter of the past." She replied quietly.

Thorin was silent for another moment before he spoke, this time in a softer tone of voice. "You knew the defiler as well, I take it."

Valadhiel clenched a fist and her teeth at the mention of the Pale Orc, then she unclenched her teeth before she nodded. "I knew him. He's the one that gave me the scar across my eye. He's the one who took my mother's life. He's the one who has told the black dragon of my whereabouts."

"Black dragon?" Thorin questioned. "I thought the only dragon left was Smaug The Terrible."

Valadhiel shook her head. "There may not be many dragons left, but there are a few. Most are in hiding because they do not wish others to think they are evil. The black dragon, known as Night Fury, is evil, however, and he despises me. He has been trying to kill me for quite some time now."

Thorin nodded softly in response, then remained silent for a little while. He couldn't find much to say, so he said the only thing that came to mind. "I'm sorry."

Valadhiel looked over at him with a soft sigh. "There is nothing to be sorry about. You were no part in anything of my past, and what's done is done. The only thing I can do now is move forward." She told him quietly, then she got up and began walking over to the tree she had been sitting under before. "Goodnight, Master Thorin."

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Valadhiel walked alongside Kili and Fili in leopard form, blinking through the rain every so often. It had decided to rain heavily, so all the dwarves had their hoods up, and everyone was rather quiet. She figured that not many felt like talking on such a gloomy day. She knew that she sure wasn't up for it.

"Here, Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked in complaint, looking over at the old wizard.

"He's a wizard, not a weatherman." Valadhiel muttered, though it was to herself. If anyone had heard her, it would have only been Kili and Fili, who were nearest to her.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done." Gandalf replied. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

Bilbo looked at Gandalf as he spoke, then took on a curious look. "Are there any?"

"What?"

"He means other wizards, Gandalf." Valadhiel replied. Sometimes she wondered if the man purposely asked questions in response to questions in an attempt to avoid answering. Then again, he shouldn't mind answering such a question. Perhaps his hearing was just leaving him in his old age.

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman The White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards;" Gandalf paused and furrowed his brow in thought before he shook his head. "You know, I've quite forgotten their names."

Valadhiel caught up to Gandalf and Bilbo, walking alongside Bilbo's pony, who startled briefly before settling down. She looked up at Gandalf, giving him a look. He probably just didn't want to mention them since they had no normal names- they were only known by their heavenly names. She shifted into her elven form after a moment and raised the hood of her cloak.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked after Gandalf finished speaking with Valadhiel.

"Radagast. Radagast The Brown is the fifth wizard." Valadhiel replied before Gandalf could speak, then she looked at the dwarves and Bilbo when they gave her an odd look. "What?"

"You seem to know about these wizards. Not many know much about them, ya know, lass." Bofur replied with a light shrug.

"Then I suppose I'm one of the few that at least knows a little about them." Valadhiel replied, giving a shrug of her own before she cast a playful grin Bofur's way. She then fell silent once more and looked at Bilbo when he spoke, though also caught some of what Bifur was saying to Bofur.

"But how is it that she does know anything about them?" Bifur murmured in question, using Khuzdul, and seemingly speaking to Bofur.

"Is he a great wizard?" Bilbo asked Gandalf. "Or is he..."

"Is he what?" Gandalf asked Bilbo in response.

"More like you?"

"Watch it, halfling. Gandalf is a great wizard." Valadhiel told Bilbo, raising a brow at him before she looked over at Bifur and gave another nonchalant shrug. "I know them because I have spent time with them, Radagast especially. I got along with him better than I get along with most because he treated me, well, like any other person."

Gandalf gave Valadhiel a gentle look before he looked over at Bilbo again, waiting for Valadhiel to finish speaking before he answered. "I think he's a very great wizard. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east, and a good thing, too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

"Ah, that explains why this Radagast treats you as if you were any other person." Thorin commented, glancing back at Valadhiel. "It's because he treats any other animal as if it were a person."

"Uncle..." Kili trailed off, looking over at him. He'd give him a look and use a scolding tone, but he respected his uncle and wanted his approval too much to do so. He wanted to be just as majestic as he was, and as great a dwarf and fighter.

Valadhiel narrowed her reptilian eyes on Thorin. "And what is that supposed to mean, dwarf?" She hissed in agitation. What was with this dwarf? One moment he seemed to like her, the next, he was insulting her. "I am not an animal, thank you very much." And with that, she shifted into a leopard once more and bounded ahead of them until she was out of sight.

Thorin watched the "leopard" as she bounded away, then glanced away after a moment. He had meant it in a joking sort of way, though he should have known that he was treading on dangerous ground by going there. If he wanted to joke around, he needed to not bring up the whole animal thing, especially since she no doubt got that a lot.

He sighed before he mentally scolded himself. He was never going to befriend her if he kept all of this up. He made her angry just by being stubborn and they did get angry with each other a lot, but even when he wasn't quite trying to anger her, he managed to do so anyways.

They rode the ponies a little ways further, then they soon spotted Valadhiel, now in elvish form once more. She had set a couple of blankets up to keep the area below dry, and a fire had been started. A black pot hung over the fire, and the elvish skinchanger was working on preparing some rabbits.

They halted the ponies once they reached the little camp, and Bofur looked at Valadhiel curiously. "How did you catch all those rabbits in such a short time, lass?"

Valadhiel looked up at him before she turned her attention to the rabbits again. "There was a group of them, three standing side by side, so I managed to take those three out with one shot." She explained, putting the prepared meat into the pot. "As for the rest of them, I tracked them in leopard form."

Soon, the dwarves had dismounted, and a few even helped with preparing the rabbit stew. Kili and Fili took the ponies to another area so they could graze, and Bifur and Bofur chose to keep watch over them. Valadhiel chose to sit up in a tree as she ate, as she wasn't in the most talkative of moods.

"Valadhiel."

Valadhiel looked down when she heard her name and saw Thorin. She bit her lower lip before she leaned against the tree trunk. "Yes?"

Thorin, since she wouldn't come down, climbed up into the tree and sat on another branch across from her. After looking away for just a moment, he spoke up. "I wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. It was rude, and I didn't mean it."

Valadhiel looked at Thorin after a moment, then she smiled a little, though there was still sadness in her eyes. "I forgive you. I shouldn't let it bother me so much. Besides, in a way, I guess that's what I really am."

Thorin looked away for a moment again, then he shook his head. "No. Last I checked, animals couldn't speak, nor could they make themselves appear to be elvish. You're no animal, Valadhiel, and I am sorry for implying that you were."

"Thank you, Thorin." Valadhiel said quietly, then she looked up at him and smiled, a little light returning to her eyes, making them appear to be alive once more rather than dead and dull. A red color also flushed into her cheeks after the dwarf said those kind words.

After that moment, Valadhiel was still pretty quiet that day as they traveled on, but she didn't seem to be nearly as sad or gloomy as before. In fact, her eyes lit up whenever she looked up at Thorin, and each time she saw him glance back at her, she couldn't help but smile.

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