In her early life growing up in Bree, Padparascha would hesitate to say that she was neglected - but she would readily admit that she was left to boredom one time too many by innkeeping parents who were a shade too busy. The world may never know whether they ever noticed that their daughter had begun hanging about in the Prancing Pony and listening to stories of adventure and far off places, or that she was the uncommon attention of unkind Bree boys, or that she had hidden away among a passing group of Dwarves. 

She was discovered in their midst over two weeks of travel later, being a hobbit and especially small and uncommonly good at going unnoticed. With winter fast approaching and not enough time to turn back, the Dwarves soldiered on to Thorin's hall with her in tow, resolving to return her to Bree at the earliest opportunity. This was quickly proven impossible the following spring when they came to collect her and take her home and could not find her for four weeks; confounded until they finally left a notice promising not to return the tenacious halfling. After a brief counsel with their leaders, Padparascha promised to earn her keep in the mines, and doubtful dwarves were soon impressed with the unusual strength and determination with which she wielded a pickaxe. She was adopted by the leader of the throng of craftsdwarves who she had first partied with, a dwarf named Kromnir. It was her Guardian who remained committed to the unpopular opinion that if she was to live in the unsafe places of the world, she would learn to fight just like any other member of the hall. Self defense was a lesson that Padparascha picked up with relish.

Too small to effectively wield an axe or hammer, and with too short an arm to swing a sword or dagger with much success, Kromnir taught her to wield a spear and shield in the manner of the Dwarven Phalanx. Her uncommon (among dwarves) nimbleness and agility made her an exemplary student and an uncanny duelist, and the old dwarf was so proud of his charge's quick tutelage that he was not even cross when she accidentally struck his eye from his head with the tip of a training spear. Undaunted, the Dwarf accepted her gift of a diamond to occupy the empty hole and resumed her training.

With the resurgence of dark works upon Middle Earth, it was only a matter of time before the indominatable Dwarven Guardian left Thorin's Hall, and Padparascha soon left in pursuit of him. She has since discovered that the world is wider and bigger than the mines of Ered Luin or the hearth at the Prancing Pony. Her own story is rapidly becoming different from any that she head told in either.