No one quite knew why, Natalie least of all, but Thorin was beginning to accept the young woman into their company. Perhaps it was her upbeat nature, or how she helped to herd the dwarves, or maybe even her understanding of his brooding nature. It sounds from what I have said so far that she had gotten him to smile a lot, but that was far from true. He was still a grumpy Dwarf through and through. It's simply that she paid it no mind, talking to him as if she were talking to any other more cheerful member of the company. Whenever he responded with a grim nod, she continued as if she had received a smile and words of approval.

Perhaps it was in that that Thorin found her friendship so valuable. She did not respect him out of fear, she did so because she found him to be a noble man. He was not her king, and she did not fear him, yet she respected him, although not by shrinking away, but by helping him in what ways she could, whether by taming Fili and Kili or encouraging dwarves to do their tasks. He respected her greatly in return, offering a willing ear and even explaining to her Dwarven concepts she was unable to grasp. 

She was closer with other members of the group than she was with Thorin however, as the two only had watch together once in a great while, and she spent much time with the other dwarves while Thorin, Gandalf, and Balin planned their next steps.

"Lassie, I don' understand how you draw so perfectly." Bofur said, peering over her shoulder as she sketched a photo of Kili, her willing subject. He had posed dramatically with a daisy in his mouth, insisting it would make the picture all the more interesting. She had been supplied pencil and paper by Gloin, whom had wanted to see what she could do, and soon almost every member of the company was wanting portraits of themselves.

"Aww, thank you Bofur!" She smiled softly at the dwarf before returning to her sketching. "Done!" She smiled proudly as she showed the photo to Kili. 

"It's perfect!" he said with a smile. "You did such a wonderful job capturing the fire in my eyes." He leaned in close to her face, giving her a flirtatious wink. 

She rolled her eyes. "Kili, my dear, you're going to be the death of me, I swear."

"It's improper for a lady to swear!" Oin said, not having understood the whole sentence, believing the girl actually had sworn.

"I do what I want," Natalie mumbled under her breath so Kili and Bofur would hear, causing them both to laugh. "Who haven't I gotten? Bilbo?"

He looked up at her. "I... If it isn't any trouble..."

"Nonsense! I'd love to draw you! Come, sit down!" Nat smiled warmly, gesturing the Hobbit over. She loved Bilbo. They had wonderful discussions about flowers and animals, as well as the Shire and her own home.

She had a different relationship with each of the dwarves. With Nori, she shared small conversations, mostly about weapons she didn't understand, and his family. With Dori, she talked about tea blends and herbal poultices. With Ori, she talked about art and small animals, as well as his knitting. He was shy, and very polite, and she enjoyed spending time with him, it was calming. 

She tried to talk with Oin, but he was hard to talk to, what with being hard of hearing and all. She tried to teach him some American sign language to make it easier for them to communicate, and they often would communicate, though about nothing in particular. She didn't spend much time around Gloin, however she would ask him questions about Dwarven economics and currency, and he gladly would tell her all she wanted to know. Bomber didn't talk much, but she would talk to him when she helped him cook dinner. Bifur and Natalie couldn't understand one another, but sometimes she'd find an especially beautiful flower or draw a picture for the dwarf just wanting to offer some form of communication. 

Then there was Bofur. She was especially close with him. They talked about everything under the sun. She confided in him when she was missing her friends and her family, and he confided in her. The two were the most emotional in the group, and naturally found one another when they needed to vent or even cry. Natalie wasn't particularly close with Dwalin, but she did often speak to his brother, often about trivial things, such as the weather or the wildlife in the area, but she felt she could come to him if she seriously needed guidance.

Then, the line of Durin. Fili and Kili were like brothers to Natalie, always pulling her into trouble that she had to pull them all out of. She kept them in line, but cherished their company, mocking them lovingly, being made fun of in return. She knew they were older than her, but she felt an instinct to care for them, wanting to guide them as they matured. Then of course, was Thorin. As established, Natalie talked more to the others, but she saw Thorin as a friend. She knew he would make a great king, and saw through his coldness to a kind and caring leader. He would listen to her when she was frustrated, and although he wouldn't talk much, she could tell he understood her plight. 

She was dreading more and more being left in Rivendell and separated from her new friends.