Zaliya's Unexpected Journey

Ch 2: Who's She?

"Oh!" blushed Fili and Kili.

"But don't worry," Zaliya continued, "I'm sure we'll be fast friends."

"That'd be nice, but I'll still try and win your heart," joked Fili.

"Aw, you already have," teased Zaliya. As the brothers and her were chatting, Thorin couldn't help but let his eyes drift over to her every once in a while, her laugh was hypnotizing, and his heart thundered every time he laid eyes on her.

Shaking his thoughts away, he announced, "Enough chatter, let us get on to more important things."

"What news do you bring from the north?" asked Dwalin, "Is Dain with us?"

Thorin shook his head, and said disappointingly, "They will bit come, they say the quest is ours, and ours alone." All the dwarves bowed their heads in silence at the unfortunate news.

All of a sudden Bilbo piped up, "Your going on a quest?"

Zaliya chuckled and shook her head, 'Poor Bilbo' she thought, 'Gandalf must be toying with him.'

"Bilbo my dear fellow," Gandalf said, "Let us have a little more light." While saying that to Bilbo, Gandalf's gaze was on Zaliya. Zaliya nodded, but quickly looked down when she saw Thorin's eyes prodding her. He had followed Gandalf's gaze, and was curious as to why he was looking at Zaliya. Under the table, Zalia flicked her hands and the lights around the room brightened.

"Wow Mr. Gandalf, that was impressive," said Gloin in awe. Gandalf merely smiled, and winked at Zaliya. She chuckled and shook her head at his teasing. Turning back to Thorin, Gandalf spread out a map on the table.

"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers," he began, "Beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

Bilbo leaned over the map and read, "The Lonely Mountain." Zaliya leaned forward in anticipation, waiting to hear what else Gandalf had to say.

"It says a beast guards the treasure, what is the beast?" asked Bilbo.

Bofur bowed his head and answered in a solemn voice, "Smaug the Terrible. Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather. Teeth like raz—-."

"Yes I know what a dragon is," Bilbo interrupted with a snap.

Zaliya frowned at his rudeness, but chuckled as Ori leaped to his feet and shouted, "I'm not afraid, I'll give him a taste of Dwarvish iron right up his behind!" The dwarves chuckled and shook their heads while Dori pulled his younger brother back down into his seat.

Heads turned toward Balin as he said, "The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen. Not thirteen of the best or brightest." A couple of the dwarves scolded at the last bit, and Zaliya frowned as Balin forgot to count her.

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters," Fili announced proudly, "All of us, to the last dwarf!"

Kili nodded and added, "You forget we also have a wizard in our company. Gandalf has probably killed hundreds of dragons in his time." Zaliya raised her eyebrows and smirked at that, knowing that the number of dragons her friends had killed was zero.

Gandalf coughed in the corner, "Well, I wouldn't say..."

"How many then?" Dori asked impatiently. Gandalf blinked, not understanding the question.

"How many dragons have you killed?" Dori repeated. Gandalf coughed again choking on his pipe, and coughed up some more smoke. Zaliya covered her mouth to contain her laughter at Gandalf's reaction.