3I wandered through the dense forest, just thinking. I couldn't remember anything but my name. Jarvis. That was the only thing I knew for sure. I didn't know where I was or when I was. I didn't even know how old I was.
I didn't know what colour my eyes were or my parents' names. Heck, I couldn't even remember who my parents were.
So I walked in these woods, completely and utterly lost and confused, waiting to die. I wasn't getting anywhere. All the trees looked the same. I tried to keep going in the same direction but I couldn't even be sure I hadn't been walking in circles since I got here.
I heard a noise behind me which caused me to spring into a nearby tree. I swung up, perched on the branch and watched as a line of people on horses went by underneath me.
When they had passed, I followed, hiding in the dense foliage. Night soon fell and the group set up a camp site in a small clearing by a low rock face. I stayed about 20 metres back, just watching.
I continued to watch until I heard a noise beside me. I turned in time to push the bow and arrow away from my head before the young man holding it let go of the string.
I looked into the deep brown eyes of this young man, to see fear in them. Why was he afraid of me? If anything, I should be afraid of them, not the other way around. I reached out my hand and he stepped back.
"I'm not going to hurt you." I told him simply. He looked at my hand warily before taking it. I put my finger to his lips as he began to speak.
"Who are you?" He whispered.
"I wish I knew." I replied, with a quiet sigh. He gave me a confused look.
"We won't hurt you." The young man seemed genuine. He led me silently to a rock just outside the fire light. He asked me to wait while he spoke to his companions. I hid and watched, not even daring to breathe.
He went immediately to an older dark-haired person, who was most certainly the leader. The young man nodded his head in my direction. The older one nodded.
The young man was walking back to me as he motioned for me to step out. I did so and the company sprung to life. But the young man jumped in front of me and put his hands up to the tips of the blades that belonged to the rest of the group. The leader ordered them to lower their weapons before turning on me.
"Who are you?" He asked with a voice which was deep and yet smooth.
"My name is Jarvis, but I can't tell you any more than that." I replied continuing to meet his gaze.
"Why?"
"That's all I know."
"What?"
"Look, I woke up here probably about 2 days ago. My name was all I could remember. Nothing has changed since then."
The leader contemplated me for a moment, and then his eyes shifted to a tall figure dressed in grey who I hadn't noticed at first. He was standing in a niche in the rock smoking a pipe and holding a staff.
He moved over to the leader and bent down so he could whisper in his ear. After their whispered discussion was over, the leader turned to me.
"You may stay if you wish." And with that he left. The rest of his company stood awkwardly around me.
"I'm Balin." It was an older man with a long white beard.
"Oin."
"Dwalin."
"Gloin."
"Dori."
"Nori."
"Ori."
"Bilbo."
"Bombur."
"I'm Bofur and this is Bifur. Bifur doesn't talk much." The one called Bofur smiled and pointed to the rusting axe-blade lodged in Bifur's head.
A golden-haired man standing next me introduced himself as Fili.
"Hang on, we're missing someone!" Balin exclaimed. The group looked over to my right at the young man from the forest.
"I'm Kili." He smiled at me. The rest of the company went back to doing whatever they were doing before, except Kili who sat down next to me.
"Who are they?" I asked pointing in the general direction of the leader and the tall man.
"The tall one is Gandalf. The other one is Uncle Thorin."
"He's your uncle?"
"Mine and Fili's uncle." I looked over at the golden-haired man called Fili.
"Why are you all out here?"
"Do you like long stories?" Kili smirked.
"Not so much. Shortened version, please?"
"Well, we're on our way to reclaim a castle built inside a mountain a long, long time ago by our forefathers."
"Reclaim it from who?"
"You mean from what. A dragon."
"What?"
"His name is Smaug."
"You named it?" I asked, horrified.
"No, dragons get their names from the deeds they do. Smaug means destroyer."
"Which language is it in? The word Smaug, I mean."
"Dwarfish."
"Hold up! You mean to tell me you all are dwarves?"
"Um, duh. Oh, except for Gandalf; he's a wizard. And Bilbo; he's a hobbit."
"O…K?
"Why, what are you?"
"Um, a human?"
"You're a human woman?"
"Yeah…?"
"I've never seen…" He reached out a hand and gently touched my face. I eyed him suspiciously.
"Sorry." He stammered, blushing and looking at the ground.
"It's fine." I said laughing.
"I bet I just made a great first impression."
"Yeah, it was actually. Pointing an arrow at my head is exactly the way to meet someone for the first time." His blush deepened. I punched him lightly on the arm.
"Don't worry about it." I said smiling at him.
"I'm sorry, though. I'm not usually that rude to a woman."
"Didn't your mother teach you to respect women?" I said laughing.
"My mother died when I was born." He said quietly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm such a terrible person."
"It's alright. You didn't know." Just then, we heard Thorin's deep voice.
"Get some rest. Kili, you're on watch." Kili groaned, and when his uncle's back was turned, he pulled a funny face. I laughed along with them all, except for Thorin, who didn't think it was very funny.
"You can have my bed roll." Kili held out a bundle to me.
"It's alright. I'm not going to sleep." He cocked an eyebrow at me. I followed him over to the boulder he had chosen for watch and sat down.
"You're going to stay up with me?"
"What else have I got to do?"
"Um, sleep?"
"I'm not tired." Kili rolled his eyes, but didn't continue. We talked late into the night as we watched over the sleeping dwarves.
"Can you fight?" Kili asked me.
"I don't know. I haven't tried. I woke up 2 days ago, remember?"
"Why don't I teach you?"
"Funny, I didn't picture you as the fighting type. I'm guessing you're the archer of the group. You must be fairly good from what I can tell."
"Wow, you're good."
"You're also the youngest, except for maybe that hobbit fellow, he's hard to read."
"I am the youngest. Bilbo is slightly older than me, about 7 years."
"He's also slightly older than your brother, Fili who must be 5 years older than you?"
"Yes. How can you do that?"
"Do what?"
"You seem to know everything about us just by a look."
"It's all in the eyes."
"Will you teach me some time?"
"We'll see. I'm not sure if it's something that can be taught." I smirked at him, and he rolled his eyes.
"Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to fight, and to use a bow, if you would like." I nodded.
A wave of exhaustion hit me and I fell asleep almost instantly with my head resting on Kili's shoulder.