Ashes

Prologue

Gandalf had been looking for a while, after Thorin had agreed to travel back to Erebor, he had tasked Gandalf with finding him a thief and a guide, to travel with him to the mountain and reclaim the throne that was rightfully his. So Gandalf had started looking, remembering a friend from a long time ago, who might be able to help Thorin reach his goal. That is how Gandalf found himself in a clearing in the woods, in front of a little cabin, hoping he had finally found her, hoping the quest could begin soon, because every day they waited was a day the enemy could decide to go to Erebor and persuade the dragon towards his cause, which would not be a good thing for the inhabitants of middle earth. 

Right when Gandalf was about to knock on the door, it opened. Behind the door stood a girl, no older than twenty, with bright red hair and blue eyes, who was smiling up at him. "Mithrandir" she greeted, opening the door further and inviting him into the cabin "it's good to see you again. How have you been? It has been a while since the last time I saw you, what have you been up to?" While the girl was talking, Gandalf looked around inside the cabin, noticing the bow placed against the wall next to the door, and the quiver filled with arrows placed right beside it, easily accessible if the girl had to leave suddenly.

By now the girl had stopped talking and was boiling water instead, while waiting for the wizard to speak, she knew he would once he was done inspecting the cabin, having never liked the idea of the girl living on her own, despite the fact that he knew she would be able to handle herself if something happened. After looking around once more, the wizard spoke up: "Evelyn, it is good to see you again indeed, though I wish it was under different circumstances. I need your help." This grabbed the girl's attention, and she looked over to Gandalf, only to find him already looking over at her with a serious expression.

Evelyn grabbed two cups and filled them with the tea she had been preparing before leading Gandalf over to the table in one of the corners of the room, and sitting down opposite him, offering one of the cups to him. He accepted the cup and took a sip of the tea, before looking at the girl in front of him, knowing she was probably the only ranger he trusted with this task. "I need you to accompany a group of dwarves to the lonely mountain, to guide and protect them, and to make sure they are able to reclaim their home." At his last words the girl's eyes widened, realising just who he was asking her to accompany.

"Why do you need my help, you could guide and protect them just as well as I could, probably even better?" The wizard had expected this question and had prepared his response, knowing she wouldn't be able to say no either way, the girl loved adventures. "I fear I might not be able to complete the journey, I have a feeling I will not be there when they reach the mountain, and you are the only person I trust to keep them all safe. Besides, in that mountain lives a dragon, and you are the only person I know who would be able to stop him from killing the dwarves as soon as he sees them."

This answer seemed to have pleased the girl as she smiled. "I will join you and your company of dwarves Gandalf, and I will do my best to keep them safe". Gandalf smiled at this, knowing the dwarves would be in safe hands if he had to leave them unexpectedly. "meet me in two days, in the Shire, you will find where you need to be." With those words the wizard finished his tea, got up and walked towards the front door. The girl joined him and watched him leave her house. Right before Gandalf entered back into the forest he heard the girl shout" Oh, and just so you know, Smaug is a wyvern, not a dragon". The wizard smiled at this, knowing she was probably the only person in Middle Earth who cared about that difference.