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The company set off for their quest to reclaim Erebor early the next morning. Bilbo had been left to sleep soundly in his home without signing the contract. It was a good thing in your opinion, the hobbit didn't belong in the wilderness fighting to survive. It was on your request that the dwarves help to tidy up the mess they had made in Bilbo's home. With some complaints, they did as you asked and helped you clean up.
You rode your pony, Peaches, a palomino pony mare with a rather sweet disposition. You began the trek at the back of the company, not wanting to get too close to anyone. It was against your want that Bofur stopped his pony so that you could ride along side each other.
"A lady shouldn't be left back here to her lonesome." He smiled warmly making his intricate mustache bounce.
"What if I preferred it?" you countered his statement.
"Ah come now, no one prefers it, lass." His happy exterior dropped at your words.
Just as you went to respond, a shouting caught everyone's attention.
"-Wait! Wait for me!" It was the tiny hobbit running towards the company flailing the contract in his hand. He ran up to Balin's pony, "I signed it."
Balin inspected the document and the signature required with a magnifying glass, "everything appears to be in order. Welcome, master burglar to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."
You had to admit that it was a surprise to see the little hobbit had decided to join. Maybe Gandalf was right, Bilbo would surprise them all before the end. He still had a lot to learn. Step one, riding a pony. His inability to ride a pony had earned him a place at the back with you.
You chuckled softly, making Bilbo look over at you, "What?"
You shrugged, "I'm just surprised is all. You have so much to learn about the world outside of your warm hearth. You need to relax, Bilbo, don't hold the reins so high." You showed Bilbo how you were riding and he copied you, and the pony quit throwing its head as a result.
You continued to teach Bilbo how to ride his pony over the next few hours. Even laughing together and having a decent fun time. You looked up feeling a pair of eyes on you. Just as you found who they'd belonged to, Thorin turned back around in his seat. You felt some anger but you couldn't tell if it was your own or his. What is there to be mad about? You'd done nothing wrong. You rolled your eyes and went about riding quietly.
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The company rode upon a farmers house—well what used to be one. The roof had collapsed in on the structure which wasn't a good sign. And not to mention there was a foul smell on the air.
You dismounted and held your nose.
Bofur turned to look at you with a confused expression on his face, "do we smell that bad,my lady?"
You let out a laugh, "no it's not you all. Can no one else smell that? It smells like...death and rotten food." You explained as you walked to the house with Gandalf and Thorin, to tell them you had a bad feeling.
"I think it would be wiser to move along," Gandalf stated as he observed the abandoned house, "A farmer and his family once lived here."
"Where have they gone?" Thorin asked looking it over to.
"Whatever it is I don't want to find out." You gently said, "Gandalf, it stinks of death and rot. If my suspicions are right, we need to get far away from this place."
The wizard nodded in thought," We could make for the Hidden Valley. Lord Elrond could help us. We could seek rest, food, advice."
"I told you, I will not go near that place!" Thorin snapped at Gandalf. You felt unwanted anger flare within you making you inwardly growl. Thorin's head snapped to you then. He continued, "what help came from the elves while my city burned in dragon fire?"
"I did not give you that map and key to hold onto the past!"
"I did not know that they were yours to keep!" Thorin shot back. You watched Gandalf tense and walk away with a horrid scowl on his face. This might be the most angered you'd ever seen Gandalf. It didn't suit him.
You didn't realize that you were still standing and staring until you felt Thorin's presence beside you, "what do your suspicions tell you about this place?"
You blinked up at him, "Trolls. Someone needs to stay with the ponies all night. They've been known to eat them." You walked off in the opposite direction of camp.
Feeling Thorin's hand on your arm stopping you, made you whimper. His touch again causing lovely tingles there.
"Where are you going?" His voice was low, for your ears alone.
"I'll be back don't worry. I don't feel comfortable in this form. I'd like to keep the clothes I have. I'm going to transform and come right back I promise. If I transformed right here, right now, my clothes rip. I'd have no clothes, then you'll have a naked woman on your hands."
Thorin's face flushed pink at that. He cleared his throat, " do it quickly." He let you go and you went to walk. Remembering something you turned to him.
"Oh and, Thorin?"
He turned to you with a hum.
"No one harms the white beasts. All of my transformations are a white pelted animal. And do not worry, I won't harm any of you. Please tell the others."
He gave you a swift nod before turning to the company, ordering them to set up camp and prepare dinner.
You walked off into the forest and stripped the clothes from your body, wrapping them in a bundle to be able to carry in your mouth. Once you were bare you let the transformation overcome you. Your hair turned snowy white and your limbs crew large and your nails grew into claws. The transformation now was virtually harmless. When you were young it hurt far more. The first change is always the most painful.
Once where a woman stood now stood a very large white wolf. You picked up your clothes and headed back to camp.
Dwalin was the first to notice you. He dropped the logs he was carrying and pulled the axe off of his back, "The white warg!!"
The other dwarves followed suit and bared their weapons at you and you growled in opposition. How exactly were you supposed to convey that you were harmless??
You did the only thing you thought possible. You rolled on your back and showed your belly, wagging your tail and whimpered.
This confused the dwarves as they looked at you in confusion.
Thorin placed himself between you and the dwarves, "it's alright! It's just y/n. She won't hurt you. Any creature she turns into is white like this one. Do not harm a hair on her head or I will send you back alone. Are we clear?"
The dwarves looked at you like you were some sort of commodity but reluctantly backed off.
You stood thinking to yourself how embarrassing that was to wiggle around on the floor like some submissive pup.
"It made you look harmless." Thorin said.
You huffed and tilted your head at him making him look at you.
You can hear me?
Thorin's eyes went wide, "I suppose I can."
The two stared at each other for a moment in awe of each other. He felt how much you wanted to play with this new connection. It was strange because he could also feel how bad the wolf wanted or perhaps even needed to learn more about this. You could feel his apprehension and the walls he had put up were great. You were determined to knock them down. Your animal instincts were far too great to ignore.
Thorin looked down to the ground and shook his head. A sinking feeling overwhelming him. He could already tell that this was going to be something he couldn't ignore. He had his own instincts that pulled at his heart telling him to run his hands through your delicate soft fur. As much as he wanted to do that he shook the feeling away. The quest came first.
You watched him go with saddened eyes.
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