Colliding with the unexpected

Puppy dog eyes work on Thorin!

At first light, Fiona woke up and stretched her limbs, finding no need to sleep. She stepped outside and grinned at the sun rising. She looked up on the tall hill part over Bilbos house and climbed up to get a better view.

"Your up early"

She jumped round with her sword out, but found it was only Thorin who was holding his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Well, now I know your alert" he mumbled. Fiona sighed and sheathed the sword "just be lucky it wasn't the whip, that would have hurt like hell" she said. Thorin smiled slightly "we are leaving in ten minutes" he informed her. She nodded and jumped down to Bilbos door and entered finding Fili, Amanda and Kili still in a deep sleep. None of the dwarves seemed to have been able to get them up.

'Great now I have three lazy asses to wake up' she thought as she walked up behind them. Thorin stood by the arch and watched with a raised eyebrow with Dwalin.

She waited a few moments before yelling "WAKE UP!"

Amanda woke up with a yelp and fell off the couch when Fili and Kili jumped up with their weapons raised. When they saw it was only a smiling Fiona they grumbled under their breath and sheathed their weapons while Fiona walked around to Amanda and knelt down, shaking her still form "'five more minutes" she grumbled.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up" Fiona repeated.

"IM UP!" Amanda yelled.

Fiona smiled in victory and rushed outside before Amanda could throttle her. The said girl grumbled under her breath as Kili hauled her up "Cooooome on sleepy head, wakey wakey" he chuckled. Amanda waved him off and swung her cloak before heading outside. She helped saddle up the ponies until she realised there were not enough ponies for her or Fiona, who had never ridden before.

"Kili! Would you mind if a Amanda here rides with you?" Gandalf asked.

Amanda was ready to throttle that wizard....

"It would be my pleasure!" He said holding his hand out to her. Amanda sighed and let him pull her up behind him. She watched as Bofur offered for Fiona to ride with him, catching Thorin jealous glare as Fiona let Bofur pull her on the back of his pony. She smirked as she knew she was going to have a lot of fun teasing her friend later.

They moved out onto the road through the forest. It was quite peaceful with the dwarves chattering away, Bofur and Fiona had taken up playing I spy and Amanda was happily dozing away against Kilis back.

"You are NOT a morning person are you?" Kili asked. Amanda shook her head "nope! Has anyone ever told you, you make a good pillow?" She grinned. Kili laughed "and has anyone told you your a strange person?" He asked cheekily.

"Countless times my friend...I thought Bilbo would have came" she said looking back to the trail.

"Doesn't seem like it but who knows" he said. Amanda nodded and laid her head against his back, breathing in his woodland scent.

Meanwhile Fiona and Bofur were still playing I spy.

"I spy with my little eye something...green?" Bofur asked.

"Tree...again...." Fiona huffed leaning her chin on his shoulder. She looked towards Thorin over Bofurs shoulder, blushing at the thought of when he kissed her hand the night before. Bofur glanced at her and let a small smile stretch his face.

Suddenly Fiona could hear someone yell for them to stop in the distance, which made her frown. How could she hear so well?

She grinned when she found that it was bilbo running up to them, waving his contract in the air "It's bilbo!" She yelled. Everyone haunted their ponies, letting the hobbit catch up to them. Some of them groaned in displease as he handed the contract over to Balin. The old dwarf took out a small magnifying glass to look at it closer. He smiled "everything appears to be in order. Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakinshield" he said with a wink. Bilbo sighed in relief and smiled.

"Give him a pony!" Thorin ordered while moving on. Before Bilbo could even protest he was lifted up onto a pony named Myrtyle and he didn't look all the more pleased about it.

"You know if you loosen up a bit she won't be so jumpy" Amanda said from behind. Bilbo looked at her and did as he was told, and found the pony relaxing a bit better. He smiled in thanks as he conversed with Gandalf.

The company stopped for a break which relieved Fiona to no end as she hopped right off the pony and laid face first onto the grass "land! Sweet solid land!" She groaned. She heard the company chuckle around her and let out a little huff

"Is something wrong with her?" Dwalin asked Amanda, slightly afraid

"She's not been on a horse since she was little and don't like them so much. She prefers walking" she explained. Fili jumped down from his horse and nudged Fiona's waist with his toe causing her to squeal. He smirked "oh! We got a ticklish one here!" He chuckled poking her waist again. She squealed again and rolled away from him "get off sunshine!" She cried as he chased after her. Amanda rolled her eyes and grabbed some apples from her bag and munched away.

While she did that Fili gave up on chasing Fiona and helped her sit up "he he he I hate you" she laughed clutching her stomach. Fili chuckled and helped her up and that's when they heard a small whimper.

"What was that?" Fili wandered aloud.

"Dunno...I assume we will be snooping?" Fiona asked.

"Oh yes, most definitely" he said walking onward with Fiona behind him. He held his hand over his dagger as he pushed some bushes away. Fiona peeked over his shoulder and gasped "so cute!"

The whimpering turned out to be a small grey wolf pup with white sock paws and bright blue eyes. Its ears were flattened against its head and his tail was in between his legs. Fiona slowly stepped forward, pushing Fili back slightly. She slowly knelt down, and held out her hand "hey little guy, it's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you" she said softly.

It was strange. She felt some sort of connection to this vulnerable pup, and felt the need to protect it. Their eyes connected and the connection grew stronger. The pup slowly stood and slowly made it's way towards Fiona. It sniffed her hand and gave it a lick. Fiona took this as a sign that she could pet it so she stroked it's head gently, and smiled when he leaned in.

"Well I'll be..." Fili mumbled as the pup sat himself on Fiona's lap. She gathered it in her arms and stood "poor little guy, he looks so spooked" she mumbled. Fili slowly pet the pups head "I don't think Thorin will...." He began

"Don't even think about saying he won't allow it, I will make him if I have to" she said dangerously. Fili held his hands up in surrender and stepped back. "Alright, alright, let's head back then" he said in defeat. They walked back to the small camp together and found everyone packing up. Thorin was the first to notice them, and he didn't look happy.

"Where have you....what...is...that?" He said, spying the wolf pup in Fiona's arms. She held him tighter to her chest "I found him alone in the woods. I couldn't leave him" she said softly

Thorin looked at her sternly "Fiona a wolf can be dangerous, we cannot keep it" he said. Fiona wasn't going to let it go that easily so she mustered up her secret weapon.

The puppy eyes

Her eyes went bigger and a little glassy, and surprisingly the wolf did the same "please Thorin, I promise I'll take care of him, he won't be dangerous if I train him...please?" She asked softly.

Thorins heart quickened at the sight of her big innocent eyes that he found himself drawn to, he tried so hard to resist the look, but it was too cute to say no to! With a heavy sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose "fine...you may keep it. But if it is potentially dangerous at ANY point of this quest, he's gone. Understood?" He warned her. She immediately brightened up "thank you. I promise he'll be good! Your the best!" She squealed. Thorin couldn't help but let a small smile stretch over his face at her bright personality. He looked at the pup who was looking at him with curious eyes "does he have a name?" He asked.

Fiona looked down thoughtfully, with her tounge sticking out slightly until she smiled "Kiba!" She said.

Thorin chuckled and patted her head "Kiba it is then. Right! Let's be off!" He ordered. He watched Fiona skip off to Bofurs horse and kiss Kibas head. He faintly smiled and jumped on his own horse. He sighed "that girl is making me soft..." He mumbled.