"You mock our pain."

Nymeria didn't trust many creatures, she didn't trust elves, didn't trust the race of men, didn't really trust any other hobbits and most certainly didn't trust the tall wizard moving off towards the door. The young faè didn't trust anyone in the room apart from Bilbo and yes, that included herself as she pulled the small halfling behind her, upper lip curling and her hackles raised, awaiting whatever was outside with a pinch of salt and already having a suspicion of what it was.

The door slowly opened, everyone waiting with bated breath, and sure enough, there was another dwarf on the other side of it, set apart by being rather tall compared to the others around them, perhaps reaching her chin or nose if he were to stand next to her, and his dark stormy eyes set on the wizard in front of him, ignoring the occupants into the home as he stepped inside. Without an invitation as he trudged his mud defiled boot across the wood of the floor, this time she openly snarled. She'd forgotten just how disrespectful dwarves could be.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." His low voice rang out though the silence, baritone and rough, filling the already tense space as he strolled inside, eyes flickering from place to place as he took in his surroundings, nodding towards his fellow dwarves that stood to the side, acknowledging their inconspicuous bows that Nymeria had caught with narrowed eyes, watching the way he paused when he glanced towards her.

"I wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door." He said, keeping his front facing the almost feral looking girl, feeling a certain kind of pull in his gut that told him not to turn his back on her, lest he wanted to be trying to dislodge her in the next moment. Suddenly, a small head popped from around her back, their eyes wide as they scrambled forwards, missing the girl's hand as she tried to pull him back.

"Mark? There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago!"

"That's your problem with all of this?" Nymeria snapped, stepping towards him as if to pull him back but deciding against it, keeping her hostile gaze trained on everyone and everything in the home, magic churning unpleasantly under her skin, feeling her fear and anxiety and waiting for the moment to latch out with its cruel chaos, noticing the way that the majority of their hands hadn't strayed away from their weapons due to that very reason.

"There is a mark, I've put it there myself." Gandalf told the hobbit, shutting the door behind him and giving Bilbo a gentle and somewhat reassuring look, trying his best to keep the peace. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo turned to look at the dwarf properly, obviously still not having a bloody clue on what was actually going on here and why it appeared that it was his home that it was all happening too, his brows still furrowed in confusion but not feeling intimidated in the slightest, not with Nymeria in his eyeline anyway, as the larger being stepped towards him, looking down his nose in every sense of the word. "So, this is the hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" He muttered, more to himself than anyone else as Thorin began to circle him, quite like a predator does a prey, sizing the hobbit up with his eyes. Nymeria, keeping herself to the shadows, felt her upper lip curl once again, her hand pressed against the wall and feeling it start to crack and crumble between her finger tips.

"Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant." Nymeria resisted the urge to slap her hand against her forehead, looking between the two with narrows eyes, ignoring every instinct in her body that told her to move into a crouch and protect what was hers, like the creatures of the Moors had taught her to do all those years ago.

"I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Thorin chuckled, looking over at the other dwarves who shared in his laughter, loud and thunderous with their shoulders shaking and bellies warm, uncaring of Bilbo's affronted look at the offensive remarks, or the way Gandalf had shifted uneasily, feeling the swell of magic gather behind them all as the faè slowly began to move closer.

"He doesn't need a weapon."

A voice broke through the laughter, a cruel, almost dark coldness lacing its every word like an ominous promise that had such mocking giggles cut short, as she took the last step across the floor to stand behind the hobbit like a shadow...and then Thorin finally turned his gaze to the woman who'd been silent throughout the exchange, her gaze dark and stormy as she looked him dead in the eye without any sign of respect or care, something about her so very wrong indeed. "What?"

"The grocer. He doesn't need a weapon." She reinstated, body relaxed and confidence, almost uncomfortably so and knowing that every eye in the home were trained towards her. Good, that would make things alot more easier to get her point across.

"And why is that."

"Because...he has me." A red mist suddenly began to surround her fingers, burning hot and boiling like the blood pumping through her veins, and the dwarves around her only had time to blink at the strange and ominous oddity, before that very same mist lashed out, spreading throughout the room, many lunged for their weapons in a moment of panic as their sight evaporated, Thorin one of them, but just as his fingers brushed over the handle, his sword was in the air, and pointed at his throat, and a quick, panicked glance around the room told him that everyone was sharing the same fate.

Each and every one of their weapons were floating, the red glow of her chaos holding them in it's dark grip, aimed at every individual with a certain threat as she slowly trailed her gaze around the room, ignoring Bilbo's awed gasp as she focused hard, already feeling the draining pull of her own magic tearing her down.

"Now, someone should tell me what's going on, or heads...are going to start rolling."

She felt more than heard movement coming from behind her, and a quick glance to the mirror beside her showed her just what was about to happen, as a dwarf with long golden hair let out a bellow, ignoring the panicked cries of 'Fili!' As he threw himself into the air to tackle her, wishing to protect the others by lunging for her open back, only to feel the girls cold hand wrap around his throat and she twirled around and forced him to crash into the floor below, his very breath leaving his lungs in a heaved pant as he looked up, taking the snarling teeth and glowing eyes of something that obviously wasn't as human as they'd thought.

"So unwise." She growled dangerously, but just as she lifted her free hand, red glowing around it as she braced herself to shove it into his chest and burn him from the inside out, the wizards staff came crushing down against her stomach, sending her soaring back into the wall behind her as his magic clashed with her darkness, the mist that had surrounded the weapons disappearing and dropping to the floor, clattering sharply.

"Nymeria!" Bilbo called out worridly, that awful concern that constantly maimed him suddenly festering in his stomach, instantly crossing the space and rushing to her side, hands held out in front of him and hovering them over her body as her eyes snapped open and glared towards the long-haired man who stared back at her frustratingly calm, as he laid a hand on Thorin's shoulder who'd tried to lunge forward towards her, stopping him in his tracks.

"It seems I may of made a miscalculation, Thorin. There will be fourteen joining us on our journey, not including ourselves of course. For some reason I had thought Bilbo Baggins here...would of been alone."

"You've got to be joking!" A dark-haired dwarf yelled, strangely lacking the usual features that were to be associated with his kind, helping his brother onto his feet who was rubbing his throat painfully, looking rather pink in the face and bruised around the neck as he kept his bright blue eyes on the woman who had bested them with ease as she lay there upon the wood, his gaze utterly entranced by the red that was still looking around her body, rearing to go for another round, ready to tear his heart out of his chest once more with such ease.

"She just tried to kill Fili!"

There was shouts of agreements from the rest, each of their gazes angry and their hands now holding their swords and axes close to their chests, lest the strange creature grimacing against the floor used them in her own attack once more, her back arched off the wall as she tried to suck in calming breaths, the heaving pain of her re-opened scars striking her magic useless. She tried to move once again but Bilbo hushed her gently, trying to keep himself in front of her just in case they decided to attack.

"She thought you were making a threat towards Mr. Baggins here, she only reacted in kind." Gandalf murmured, watching with a asserting eye as the hobbit helped her off of the floor, brushing off the dust attached to her body and felt his face drop in shock as Bilbo strolled around to her back and started doing the same. It seems their bond went deeper than he ever thought if the faè allowed him near her back without as little as a flinch.

"I'm sorry about Nymeria, she's just rather protective you see, I'm sure this can all be settled with a pint of...ale?" Bilbo tried carefully, keeping his small body in front of her as her eyes flickered from place to place, both expecting the worst after a few tense moments of silence, until the room broke out in murmers of agreement and sheathed their weapons, though they all now knew not to turn their backs onto the dangerous woman as the shuffled into the dining room once more.

Nymeria growled quietly, ignoring her hobbits repriminding look as she did so, dwarves. It just had to be dwarves.
________________________________________________

The home was brimmed with tension, churning and dark and so thick that it could be cut through with a knife as everyone in the home kept their eyes open, backs guarded, watching the strangers every move while also trying to listen in on their kings words, keeping their hands hovering over their sides where their weapons lay as they talked amongst themselves in low voices that she didn't care to pick up on.

The faè had sat herself down in the kitchen away from the disruptive beings, making sure she was alone and out of view from prying eyes as she applied a soothing salve to the skin of her back, hissing when her fingers caught the edge of her broken skin, the never-healing scabs on her back re-opened from her back hitting off of the corner of the home. A muffled curse left her lips, eyes clenched shut as she finished applying the last of it, her magic clashing with the thunderous pain that had been soothed down and fighting to get back control.

Nymeria sat there for a few moments, catching her bearings before standing slowly on shaking legs, pushing her prejudice and trauma to the back of her mind once more as she stalked into the dining room, keeping her face blank and closed off to conceal her emotions and pretending to ignore the way they'd all tensed at her appearance, the blonde that she'd attacked seemed to be the only one who didn't, though she did notice his blue eyes narrow.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold. When the birds of the old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end." A dwarf growled, ignoring her presence and she could only blink, trying not to look as confused as she felt, eyes flickering for any sort of clue and realising that she probably should of been listening a little closer to the conversation from the next room over.

However, it was Bilbo that seemingly finally wanted answers as he walked over and stepped into the room once more, catching eyes with Nymeria who nodded at him gently. "Uh...what beast?"

"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals." The dwarf with the strange hat from before stated helpfully, and she idly remembered him being referred to as Bofur or something, putting his pipe back into his mouth after he finished, the atmosphere around them becoming down trodden and tense once again.

That was, of course, until Nymeria let a cruel giggle slip through her lips, causing heads to snap towards the dangerous faè. "A dragon? You're talking about a dragon?" She finally broke her silence, stalking closer into the room with a small smirk curling over her lips that had tempers flaring as she looked Thorin dead in the eye without a care, looking as though she was going to start really laughing at any mere moment, uncaring of their plight.

"Aye lass, an evil beast it is too." Bofur told her non-repulsed, trying to be kind to the strange girl as she walked past the wall behind her, dragging her shaking fingers across the mantle piece nonchalantly, aware on the eyes on her, most specifically Bilbo's as he tried to warn her to be careful with her taunted words, but when had she ever listened to her small halfling?

"No creature on this earth is evil for the sake of being evil, dwarf."

"It wreaked havoc and destruction on our homeland. It tore apart families, burned our structures to the ground and rendered us without our home. How can you say that that beast is not evil?" A bald dwarf growled dangerously, slamming his fist onto the wood of the table and ignoring the hobbits indignant squeak of protest as he did so, he'd only just had that re-painted too.

"Because dragons do what dragons do. They hunt for gold just as hobbits eat, wizards cast their spells, elves sing and dwarves greed." She turned slowly and looked them all dead in the eyes, mind flashing back to whispered promises, fake kindness and the haunting and horrendous pain of her tortured soul being torn apart from its seams.

"You mock our pain." Thorin growled, voice a low and rough snarl as he glared towards her threateningly, no seeing or perhaps not caring for the way Gandalf squirmed around in his seat, feeling the chaos, the rage that burned underneath her skin like it was his own. Such tremendous power pushed into one being that couldn't of been born to last.

"Life is pain. Anyone that saying different is either a fool or a liar." She spat, slamming her hands against the table, eyes glowing through the darkness of the room ominously.

"And what would you know of pain, witch?" Thorin scoffed, rising from his seat to glare at her, taking in the fullness of her cheeks that would of never gone hungry, the smoothness of her skin unmarred from scars or wounds, no missing limbs or bent bones, no sign of anything of the sort to allude to any sort of trauma.

Nymeria could see the way they all looked at her, knew what they were all thinking, that she had some form of sheltered or pampered life and tried desperately to keep the disbelieving laugh that wanted to escape concealed in her trembling lips. She could relate alot to these dwarves, forced out of her home and quite possibly torn apart from a family she'd never met, scarred, abandoned, and constantly hanging in the balance between life and death.

But, what she found rather ironic, was that the same creatures that looked at her with such scorn now...were the same race of vile monster that had taken all those things and more away from her. But, instead of voicing that weakness, she instead laughed numbly and glared at him with the same haunted glint in her eye. "More than you'd ever imagine."

"Nymeria! Can you put the flowers into the kitchen please!" Bilbo shouted, causing heads to snap back towards him as if forgetting he was there but he didn't even spare them a second glance, keeping his eye on his friend and hoping she'd take him up on that offer to leave the mounting tension of the room and calm herself. He knew that she was strong, that she was powerful, but that didn't mean she couldn't be overpowered by the angry company they currently kept.

She stared at him for a few moments, like the others shocked at the abrupt order, before visibly deflating when she looked into his anxious eyes, and deciding it was better to take the out while she still could. "Alright, I'll be back in a moment."

The faè strolled past him, pressing a lingering hand on his shoulder to comfort him, walking into her bedroom and slamming it shut behind her, the pressure on her chest lifting as she physically gasped for breath, eyes clenching shut and hands shaking as she tried to calm her nerves. She'd barely been back into the room for five minutes before she'd wanted to lash for their throats, it didn't matter who they were, everytime she glanced at them, their image always took a different and hauntingly familar twist, no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

They weren't him, but apparently, she wasn't half as over her trauma as she thought she was.

She allowed herself a few moments to calm her racing heart once again, fingers glowing with a certain kind of threat as she walked across her room and picked up the basket of flowers with shaky hands and began to sort through them, grabbing a near-by jar and stuffing them inside while focusing heavily on her bond with Bilbo for any sign of distress, and unknowing if she was thankful or put-out when she couldn't find anything of the sort, and when she was done, Nymeria walked into the kitchen silently, pushing the jars onto their respective shelves, and then, just as silent, made herself a cup of water to steady her nerves.

However, she did come back into the room finally, tension still wound tight in her muscles but refusing to let her anger get the best of her, just in time to find Bilbo holding a rather large piece of parchment in his hands, eyes flickering down the page with his face strangely pale and muttering under his breath almost anxiously. The faè frowned, slowly stalking closer and uncaring of the way their present company had turned to look at her.

"Bilbo? What's that?"

"That would be your contact." The old wizard stated, nodding towards her kindly as she stepped into the hallway, coming up just to stand behind her halfling friend as he continued to read, not even noticing her presence and she took a quick glance as it from over his shoulder.

"Our contract? Contact for what?"

"Well lass, we're in need of a burglar, and Gandalf has assured us that Mr. Baggins here, happens to be perfect for the job." Bofur said joyfully, gesturing towards the hobbit with a certain kind of glee that left her feeling rather confused indeed. Her Bilbo? A burglar? Were they talking about the same creature?

"And has Bilbo accepted the offer?" She asked with narrowed eyes, her jaw tense and hands clenching into fists at her side, hoping and praying to whatever sort of god there was that he hadn't, that he wouldn't subject the both of them to whatever horrors lay in front of them. Well, she couldn't say that she'd mind the orcs, perhaps even the dragon, but the thought of being surrounded by dwarves for how many months filled her with unease.

"He's about too!" Bofur said, tone cheerful and obviously unaware that that was the last thing she wanted to hear as she openly snarled, crossing her arms over her chest with a stubborn huff.

"What about you?" A voice suddenly asked, deep but with a certain tone that the others lacked, and Nymeria's dark eyes flickered towards the golden haired dwarf who held her gaze stubbornly, not intimated in the slightest of the glowing orbs glaring back at him, which, she almost found impressive in all honesty...not many had the balls to be so open when they caught a glimpse of her snarling teeth and wolf-like stare that demanded submission.

"What about me?"

"Will you be joining us on our journey?" Gandalf broke the contact, staring down at the girl who blinked back at him in response, shocked that that was even a question, however, her answer was quickly interrupted by a wide-eyed Bilbo. "Uh...'The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to...lacerations. Evisceration."

"Incineration?" Bilbo said, making sure he'd actually read that right as he held the parchment  away from him, as if the farther it was away the less danger he was in, face somehow paling even further as he stared at them with wide-eyes. Bofur didn't seem to care in the slightest that the hobbit looked like he was on the verge on a meltdown. "Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

"Bilbo, sit down before you pass out."

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"You alright, laddie?"

"I just- I feel a bit faint."

"That's because you are going to faint."

"Think furnace, with wings."

"I...I...I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

"Would you shut your mouth."

"Nope." The hobbits eyes rolled to the back of his head, slumping backwards and about to hit the floor until Nymeria managed to lunge forward, hooking her hands under his armpits and grunting as she took his surprisingly heavy weight, holding him up and close to her chest as she swirled her head to give the dwarf a dangerous look, who, at least had the decency to look rather sheepish, she didn't even bother trying to conceal the roll of her eyes.

Dwarves.
_________________________________________________

"I'll be alright. Just let me sit quietly for a moment." Bilbo muttered, cheeks stained a dark pink from embarrassment more than anything else as Nymeria handed him a cup of tea, one whiff of the steam assuring him that she'd planted a few petals of the violet orchard to help with the constant bile scratching against his throat. He gave the girl a gentle smile as she sat against the arm of his chair, hovering over him nonchalantly.

"You've been sitting quietly for far too long." Gandalf said after a few moments of observing the strange duo with a curious glint in his old eyes, chuckling in amusement as their attention snapped over to him, as if too caught up in their gentle affection to remember he'd been standing in front of them, before he became serious once more, staring at Bilbo in disappointed fashion.

"Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young hobbit who was always running off in search of Elves, in the woods. He'd stay out late, come home, after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young hobbit who would've liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there." The old wizard said wisely, ignoring Bilbo's indignant scoff.

Nymeria quirked a single brow as she looked down at the hobbit, eyes shining with soft amusement as she pressed her thigh into his shoulder, almost causing him to spill his tea as she smirked. "You never told me that you were such a troublesome little fellow, Bilbo."

"It was many years ago. I'm not that hobbit anymore." He replied, turning his nose up as he took a sip of his tea, replying to both girl and wizard with the hopes of shutting the both of them up.

"And yet a faè sits by your arm chair, bringing you tea like a common housewife." Gandalf stated in disbelief though not unkindly, obviously not believing the hobbit in the slightest. Their heads snapped towards him once more in surprise, though Nymeia had a guarded look in her dark eyes that told him to answer the next question carefully as her hand curled around the corner of the armchair.

"You know what I am?"

The old wizard nodded slowly, knowing from the moment she'd stepped into view what she was, because fundamentally, magic would always recognize magic, no matter how powerful or faint, each being radiated their own certain kind of aura...and young Nymeria had said magic rolling off of her in dangerous waves. "Yes...and I know that a faè's loyalty and, most importantly their trust is a binding thing, so, I can only wonder what you have done Mr. Baggins to obtain it."

"That is between Nymeria and I." Bilbo murmured, sharing a look with the girl who nodded her thanks, dark gaze training back onto Gandalf as if to dare him to try and say anything else m, but the wizard only nodded.

"I see."

"Look. I can't just go running off into the blue! I am a Baggins, of Bag End!" The hobbit stated firmly, gesturing around to show that this was his home, that it had all of his homely items into it, that he was no longer and adventurous being, nor did he want to be. Gandalf frowned, and stared at him in disappointment. "You are also a Took. Did you know that your great, great, great, great uncle Bullroarer Took, was so large he could ride a real horse?"

"A strange accomplishment."

"Hush Nymeria."

"Yes, well he could! In the battle of Greenfields, he charged the goblin ranks he swung his club so hard, it knocked the goblin king’s head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air, and went down a rabbit hole. And thus the battle as won, and the game of golf invented at the same time." The old wizard described, the magic of his words drawing the faè in while Bilbo frowned in confusion, if he recalled, the story went alot differently than that.

"You never told me that either." Nymeria said, looking down at him with that same damned quirked brow as he huffed under his breath, staring at Gandalf pointedly. "Well, yes, that's because I do believe he's just made that up."

"Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You’ll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back." He murmured, not denying the claim in the slightest as he finally sat down in front of the strange duo, looking at the earnestly. It was Bilbo who huffed out a laugh, staring off to the side before slowly dragging his gaze back to meet the wizards.

"Can you promise that I will come back? Can you promise that we both will?"

Gandalf only hesitated for a moment, averting his eyes from faè to hobbit and knowing that the truth would always be better than any lie or false hope. "No. And if you do, you’ll not be the same."

"That’s what I thought." Bilbo sighed, almost regrettably as he placed his cup and saucer to the small table beside him and stood up, looking at the old wizard apologetically, aware of Nymeria looking up at him with a careful look in her eye. "Sorry, Gandalf, I can’t sign this. You’ve got the wrong hobbit."

And then with one last look at Nymeria he left the room, avoiding looking at the dwarves disappointed looks...or worse their knowing looks as he hobbled over to his bedroom, door shutting behind him with a gentle click that assured the end of the discussion. Gandalf sighed softly, and, already knowing his answer, slowly turned his head to look up at the faè questioningly. "I can only assume that you won't be joining us either?"

Nymeria didn't have much change of expression as she stood, brushing off the invisible dust from her clothes and swallowing down the relief she felt at not being trapped with the dwarves for company for whoever knows how long on a journey they may not come back from. But, strangely enough, with that relief...there also came pity, or most accurately empathy and she bowed her head to the wizard. "Where the hobbit goes, I go I'm afraid. You won't ever find one without the other until my dept in repaid."

"And that's why you've stayed with him for so long...a dept?" Gandalf questioned, wanting to know more and taking everything she'd give him. It was rare to see a faè have such attachments, to act so animated, so driven by emotions to the point it was almost human and still have such power at their disposal, but, yet again, he'd never met another faè with their magic so...dark.

"It started like that yes, but now, well, now it's rather hard to picture a life without the over-bearing halfling." Nymeria said fondly, an unconscious smile stretching over her face, showcasing the beautiful features she hid behind with wild hair and wilder eyes, before she turned her head and stared at the wizard, an unfortunate sigh slipping through her lips. "However, I wouldn't count us out just yet."

She left the room, eyebrows furrowed and eyes staring at the floor as she walked along, not truly looking where she was going and crashing into a body that almost knocked the unsuspecting faè off of her feet and onto the ground below. Nymeria let a gasp slip through her lips, eyes wide and bracing impact only to feel two rather rough and strong hands catch her just under her armpits and haul her up with a nonchalant ease.

"Careful Ori, you almost knocked the lass off her feet." The voice scolded, familiar and low and she spun around on her feet to find the golden haired dwarf staring up at her, coming up to perhaps an inch or two onto her shoulder, and a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips that had his braided moustache twitching.

"I'm s-so sorry, miss." Ori said, eyes wide like a frightened mouse, and then scurrying away quickly when she turned her unintentional dark gaze upon him, going over to the comfort of his fellow dwarves. That girl was truly terrifying.

Nymeria glared back towards Fili as her chaos began to fester around her like a disease, rotting her from the inside out, and only idly remembering the name being shouted as she was about to slaughter him, before her eyes glanced down to find his hands still lingering against her forearms as if to steady her, the calloused palm of his hands seeping warmth into her cool skin that she died want. She quickly snatched her arms back with a vicious snarl. "Hands off or else I'll tear them off."

The dwarf held said hands up into the air peacefully, eyes not looking nearly have as cautious as he watched her, trying desperately to hold the smile she could see him desperately trying to hide. "I was just trying to hel-"

"I don't need your help, dwarf. Nor do I want it." She snapped, before twirling around, hair slapping against his face and stalked away, leaving him standing in the hallway with a certain look in his eye that no one could ever hope to decipher.

"Aye, I figured as much." But those words were lost upon her as Nymeria came to a stop just outside of her hobbits bedroom and sighed softly, feeling his sadness as if it were her own as she lifted her hand and placed a gentle and familar knock onto the door before opening it, finding Bilbo sitting on the bed with his head in his hands, though he quickly looked up at the sound of his door opening, visibly deflating in relief when he noticed who it was.

"Are you going with them?"

"And leave you here to the vile company of the Sackville-baggins? Just what do you take me for." The faè chuckled, strolling towards him and sitting next to him on the comfy bed, knocking his leg with her own as she tried to cheer him up, hating the guilt shining in his usually vibrant eyes as he heaved a heavy sigh, staring ahead of him mournfully.

"I want to help them, truly, I do but you heard them, I might not come back."

"Yes, you might not come back, or you might come home a different hobbit entirely. Perhaps you might even lose your appetite, perish the thought." Nymeria gasped tauntingly, but, upon seeing no reaction felt herself frown, and then slowly reached across the small space to hold Bilbo's shoulder, forcing him to meet her eyes as she said her piece. "If you help them, or if you don't, it makes no difference to me, but will you be able to rest not knowing? I know you Bilbo Baggins. I've seen your heart and it is kind, and rare and thrumming with the need for adventure."

Bilbo shook his head, laughing in disbelief. "There must be someone better equipped, better skilled, just better in general!"

Nymeria refused to hear such poppycock, and she rose from her feet and squatted down in front of him, eyes dark and tone firm. "You found a stranger dying on the outskirts of your shire, not knowing what trouble they might be in, or get you in and you saved them anyway. You saved me. You gave me a home, for no other reason except fondness, you've fed me and cared for me as if I was from your own nest- I mean your own kin. There is no one in the whole of middle-earth better than you Bilbo Baggins."

"You really think that?" He whispered in shock, because yes, while he knew the faè cared for him in her own special way, she'd never been so verbal about her affections, and the way she seen him, well, it was nothing short of heroic.

"I know that. Now, get under your blankets and go to sleep. You look like you need it." He found himself doing as she said, eyelids fluttering without his permission as she helped tuck him in like he was a child, the roles very much reversed due to the countless times he'd had to do the same, especially after whatever nightmare had plagued her the night before, feeling the gentle caress of sleep begin to seep into his bones. "I still don't know what to do."

"We'll figure it out in the morning." Nymeria said gently, brushing a stray curl out of his face as she slumped down on the wall next to him, not wanting to leave the hobbit in his time of need. "Together?"

"Until the very end, my dear hobbit."