Porcupine Ridge immortals

Rue looked back over her shoulder with a smile, enjoying Thorin's easygoing presence. She liked hearing him laugh; she realized with a pang of sorrow that it had been a long time since she had heard such a carefree sound... life in Blacktail Deer Plateau had taken a rather serious turn as of late. 

"If a potential recruit has a good heart, and he knows how to make himself useful, we can always find room," Rue assured Thorin, an amused twinkle in her eye. "Why, would you know someone like that?" Rue turned back forward to hide the very un-Rue-like grin breaking across her countenance. It seemed that Thorin's lighthearted attitude was catching. 

He was from the far east? "Me too, originally," Rue commented with interest. "Born in Red Fern Glade." It was unlikely the man had heard of her tiny natal pack, unless maybe he had been part of one of the packs that made up the Glade's expansive network of allies.