The Fifteenth Member

The Journey Begins

Attara's POV

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When I came out of my room the rest of the party was gathered together, ready to go. Gandalf looked around, seeming to count that the whole party was there. "Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. We're all ready, let's go!"

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As all the dwarves walked out the door I looked around the house one last time. I had never really had a permanent home since the attack, but I tried to make every place I lived feel as homely as possible. Esmerelda and Gregory treated me very well, as they were never able to have children of their own. They often had told Gandalf that I was a miracle for them. My heart sank as I thought of this, their "miracle" had brought about their doom.

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I heard thorin grumble something that about me holding them up, snapping me back to reality. I walked out the door and grabbed a larger bay pony from the pen near my house. His name was Phari and and he had been my partner on many adventures through the woods near my house. I had raised him from a colt and trained him to be ridden myself.

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I quickly saddled him and secured my pack to the back of his saddle. Once I was sure my pack wasn't going anywhere I moved to bridle Phari. I noticed Fili and Kili were standing near me watching me as I went to mount him. I quickly slipped my wings through the slits in my shirt and fluttered them slightly to lightly land on Phari's back, tucking them back into my shirt as I landed."Is there something you two need?" I asked Fili and Kili and I got on.

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"Oh um.." Kili started, seeming taken aback.

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"We were going to help you get on." Fili said flatly.

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"Thank you" I replied politely "but I'm fine on my own" I said a little more forcefully. As the only woman on this quest I was not about to let these dwarves think I was helpless.

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"Ride out!" Thorin called as the dwarves, hobbit, and wizard started to head through the trees towards the road. I fell into stride between Gandalf and the hobbit I had yet to be introduced to. I glanced over at him to see he was looking at me with wide eyes. "And you are?" I asked.

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"Bilbo" he replied "Bilbo Baggins" he smiled slightly as he said this, but his voice shook nervously.

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"And how did a hobbit such as yourself get pulled into an adventure like this?" I asked him curiously.

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"Well that's a long story" he replied slightly more confidently.

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"We have time" I said smiling

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Bilbo began to explain how he met the dwarves, and how they convinced him to come along as we rode. Talking to the little hobbit made time pass quickly and I was glad someone in the group seemed to like me.

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Time continued to pass quickly as we traveled, and soon it was growing dark. "We will camp here for the night" thorin said as we approached what remained of an old farm house.

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A sense of dread overcame me as we approached the dilapidated house, but I ignored it. After all - how bad could some little old farmhouse be?