A Thousand Miles[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Two]

It was a long flight that night for the skin-changer. The young woman found rest in a tall tree on the borders of Buckland. She was back in her human form, starring at the stars; like she did every night. Alyndra closed her eyes. Her dreams were often about her mother when she was alive. When the three of them were a family. But tonight's dream was different; she wondered what this quest would be like, all the places she would see and who would be all joining on this journey. The skin-changer closed her eyes and fell asleep as the wind blew through her long brown hair.

The sun slowly began to rise over the tree's, Alyndra groaned, she still had at least half a days flight before she would reach the Shire. She leaped from the branch she stood on and landed on the ground. The woman decided to walk on foot for awhile. The woods were peaceful, by the afternoon Alyndra was back soaring through the sky.

The skin-changer was just entering Hobbiton and she landed on the ground behind some trees, changing back into her human form and changed into her black trousers and her beige long sleeve. It was pitch black out. She walked the path that led into Hobbiton. As she followed the path she noticed, the hobbit's were turning off their lights for the night. The woman stopped dead in her tracks when she realized the wizard hadn't told her which house she had to go to.

Alyndra placed her hands on her hips, annoyed now. She let out a huff. " Alyndra, so nice of you to show up." The woman didn't even hesitate and she pulled her dagger out and had it at the wizards throat.

" Gandalf, you shouldn't sneak up on people." The woman snapped, removing her blade.

" My apologize." The wizard stuttered. She bent down and put her dagger back in the case that was attached to her boot.

" You failed to tell me, exactly which house I was to be meeting you at." The wizard let out a nervous chuckle looking at the woman.

" I'm here now, so i'll just show you." Gandalf suggested. Alyndra rolled her eyes and that's when she caught sight of the group of dwarves behind him. The woman shot a look at the wizard. If anyone knew skin-changers it was their hatred for dwarves. The wizard quickly walked passed the annoyed woman and led the way. Alyndra was walking behind the wizard when one of the dwarves started talking to her.

" What's your name lass?" Alyndra looked to her side at the dwarf that spoke to her. He had dark hair, wore a rough looking hat. He seemed friendly enough.

" Alyndra. And who are you?" She questioned, not being friendly about it.

" Bofur, at your service." The dwarf started cheerfully. She found it odd, a dwarf offering service to someone other then their own Kin. Alyndra thought to herself maybe they weren't all so bad. The dwarves were bickering amongst themselves, who was going to knock on the hobbit's door. The woman groaned and pushed her way through the dwarves and knocked softly on the wooden door.

The woman could hear an angry, flustered voice coming from the other side. The dwarves behind her were getting impatient and pushy. As the door swung open the dwarves pushed their way in, including the woman and she fell, with the dwarves landing right on top of her. She let out a grunt when her face came in contact with the floor. The annoyed hobbit looked down at the woman who was now pinned under the weight of the dwarves, struggling to get free. She growled as she slithered out from under them, catching her breath and stood up. The hobbit looked at her strangely, she wasn't much taller then him, and her features were too soft to be a dwarf.

" Are you alright?" The startled hobbit asked the woman.

" I am fine now, thank you." She said with a smile. The hobbit face showed signs of relief that she at least had manners and was being oddly very nice to him. Compared to his first guest's that had arrived and invaded his home. " What's your name?" Alyndra asked.

" B-Bilbo...Baggins." The hobbit said nervously. Alyndra smiled down at the Halfling.

" Pleasure to meet you, Master Baggins. Alyndra, at your service." She introduced, giving him a slight bow, which surprised him.

" Please, come right in Alyndra. I am sure you are hungry. That's if the dwarves have left anything, I'm afraid most of them have cleaned out my pantry already." The hobbit stated, feeling annoyed. Alyndra grumbled something. under her breath about dwarves in general.

" Thank you. Mr. Baggins. But I ate on my way here." She stated.

" Please, just call me Bilbo." The hobbit insisted, she nodded to him and left to go see these others that were already here. She was not impressed at all. A few dwarves were climbing all over the hobbit's furniture, showing no respect for something that wasn't there's. Food crumbs were left throughout the hobbit hole. She was disgusted.

The woman was listening to the hobbit getting extremely flustered with the wizard in the other room. She walked down the hall when she ducked out of the way just in time before a piece of ham flew into her face. This was ridiculous. The hobbit had been so kind to offer them to come in and they were treating is home like it was their own backyard.

The Skin-Changer watched as a young dwarf approached the exasperated hobbit with his plate, wondering what he should do with it. Alyndra rolled her, when a dwarf with blonde hair came over to him and took the plate and tossed to a dwarf with darker hair, that begun to sing.

"Blunt the knives, bend the forks

Smash the bottles and burn the corks

Chip the glasses and crack the plates

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

............

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat

Leave the bones on the bedroom mat

Pour the milk on the pantry floor

Splash the wine on every door

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl

Pound them up with a thumping pole

When you've finished, if any are whole

Send them down the hall to roll

.......

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

All the dwarves had chimed in to this song. Alyndra found herself actually tapping her boot to the tune, and she had to remind herself that she did not enjoyed being around dwarves. She followed the alarmed hobbit into the kitchen where the others had ended up in. There sat in the middle of the table, was neatly clean stacked dishes. The woman had to admit these dwarves had style, their manners and their lack of respect could use some work though. The dwarves chuckled at the hobbit's expression, when suddenly three very distinctive knocks came from the front door. The room had gone silent. Alyndra was beginning to wonder who their final visitor was that could cause these obnoxious dwarves into silence.

" He's here." The wizard spoke as the fire crackled from the living room and everyone, including the skin-changer waited for the dwarf to walk through the doors.