The baby wrapped in a soft brown blanket cried as a hooded figure gently laid her under the limb of a blooming lavender bush. The smell of the lavender and the gentle humming of the figure lulled the figure to sleep. The figure placed an envelope in the folds of the blanket. "I wish you all the happiness and love in the world little one, may you be safe." The figure looked up hearing footsteps approaching and hid behind a large oak tree and watched as the couple holding hands approached. The figure took a step back stepping on a small branch making a snapping noise which woke the sleeping baby startling her and making her cry. The couple stopped, hearing the sound the woman gasped.

"Gloin, look…" She knelt down and picked up the baby gently. "We can't just leave her out here like this." Gloin looked at the small bundle in his wifes arms and spotted the corner of the note, removed it and read it out loud. "I do not have the means to care for this child. Please raise and love her as your own." There was no signature or mark to suggest who had written it. The baby had begun to cry again and Aia gently rocked and calmed the small child. "Well..We will raise her." Said Gloin which earned a smile from his wife, they had only been married a year and were ready to welcome children at anytime.

They took her home and Gloin called upon his brother Oin, a healer, who looked over the small child. "She is not a full dwarf child, she is also Efl. But otherwise she is healthy. Er…Where did you find her?" Gloin stroked his beard in thought and then answered. "Abandoned on the side of a well traveled road." The baby began to cry again from the cool air and Aia quickly bundled her up in a new clean blanket. "What will be done with her?" Asked Oin curiously, he wasn't prejudice against the small child, she couldn't help where she came from and who her parents were, just an innocent lost in the world. "We will raise her as our own." Answered Aia as she cradled the small baby, she smiled and again spoke.

"We will call you Kathrine." Gloin agreed with the name, he smiled down at his new daughter, her eyes closed in a quiet and peaceful slumber, warm and happy, her soft red hair smoothed back by the blanket and her new mothers calming hand. As she grew they noticed that her features were mostly dwarf, ears hair, height and her build somewhat resembled both . She had smooth creamy skin like an elf and no facial hair. The hair she did have was on her head and became a much darker red as she grew, her eyes were brown like chocolate. She was a sweet, kind little girl, always so helpful with chores and always happy and loved music she had the voice of an angel. The apple of her papa's eye.

But not everyone liked her. When she went with her mother to the market place people would sneer and make comments about the child. "What an ugly child." One dwarf woman said to another. "I know, and no beard, She will never marry." The first woman nodded. "I feel so sorry for her family, she will never learn a trade." Some of these things, these awful words would reach Katie's ears and would make her sad. Her mama would hug her, look her in the eye and say. "Keep yer head up Katie, their words mean nothing but a hill of beans." This would make Katie smile and giggle and forget about what was said and forgive as well. When Katie turned five she began schooling, she loved to learn and read. If she wasn't doing her chores, helping her mama cook or picking apples then she was sitting in her favorite spot by the fire reading a book.

One day after school Gloin took Katie to the playground to try and make some friends. Gloin set Katie down on the ground and bowed to the crowned prince Thrain who was there with his son Thorin, who was eight years old. "Go on and play son." Thorin looked up at his, nodded and went off to play with his cousins. A little boy and a few other little children approached Katie. "Get off the swing freak!" Shouted the boy, Katie simply looked at him and said. "That's not nice." He laughed at her again. "Freak! Freak! Freak!" He chanted and laughed along with his friends, he then pushed her off the swing and onto the ground where she began to cry. Thorin saw all of this and didn't like it, he made his way over. "Leave her alone Dori!" The group of kids stopped laughing. "Stay out of it Towin, she's a freak." Thorin looked at him and stood his ground. "Leave her alone." Dori, figuring he was out numbered in size by Thorin and his two cousins against himself and his three shorter companions, just gave a toothy sneer and walked away with his friends.

Thorin knelt down to Katie and helped her sit up. "Hi I'm Thorin." She sniffled and whipped her eyes. "I-I'm Katie." Thorin smiled and sat in the grass with her, they talked and giggled. Katie had made a new friend. "She's an adorable little girl." Said Thrain to Gloin. Gloin smiled. "Aye, she is, and very special too." The adults chatted while the children played. After a while Gloin went to Katie. "Time to go home Katie." She smiled up at him and stood whipping the dirt off her dress. "Aye papa. Bye Thorin." She said and gave him a hug. He smiled and hugged back. "Bye Katie." He watched as Katie left with her father. "Come son. Home time." Thorin walked over to his father and they went home the whole time Thorin was deep in thought. When he got home his mama drew him a bath. "Mama?" He said as he sat in the warm soapy water as his mother washed his hair. "Aye my little Rin?" Rin was his nickname that his mother had given him. "I like Katie, shes pretty." He smiled. "I'm gonna marry her someday." This made Ora, his mother, giggle with delight at her son. "Oh? Are you now?" She said as she tickled her son and got giggles and splashes in response.

Gloin had made it home with Katie, she was worn out from her day at the park that she got her bath and went strait to bed without supper. She was happy, she made a new friend and would tell her parents about it the next day. She slept quietly, her tame warg Kaizen curled up next to her bed sound asleep as well.

Authers Note: I hope everyone enjoyed this first chapter of The Raven Queen, the second chapter will be up soon. And where did she find a warg? Also you can find face and voice claims on my fanfic Instagram page, multifanfic22, along with other future fanfics I will write. Thank you for taking the time to read this! Please R&R!