Eruwen (Part 1 & 2)

The Contract

"If we noticed the signs, why shouldn't someone else?" Thorin spoke, his eyes darting around the table, "There are rumors, no one has seen the dragon Smaug in sixty years. A few are looking east to the Mountain, pondering and weighing the risks. "All the wealth of our people may not be guarded. Will we sit by while they take what is ours? OR WILL WE TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO RECLAIM THE MOUNTAIN?" He roared at the end.

The answer was a joyful shout from the other dwarves.

"Remember, the front gate is closed, there is no way to get into the mountain," Balin uttered pessimistically.

"That, my dear Balin, is not quite true," objected Gandalf, clutching a key in his hand.

Thorin froze when he saw it.

"How did you come by it?" He asked the wizard.

"It was entrusted to me by your father, Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now, please," he replied, handing it to its rightful owner.

"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili echoed.

The intelligence of the dwarves was sometimes almost frightening.

Gandalf nodded.

"These runes speak of a secret path to the lower halls," the Grey Wizard explained.

"There's another entrance," Kili spoke happily, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Hopefully we can find it, but the dwarven door can't be seen when it's closed. The answer lies somewhere in this map. I am unable to discover it, but there are those in Middle-earth who can. The task of which I speak requires a good deal of cunning, and a good deal of courage too," he looked at the hobbit, "but if we are careful and clever, I believe we can do it." 

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori said.

"Hm, and a good one at that, an expert I'd say," the hobbit echoed.

"And you are?" Gloin asked.

"I'm what?"

"He said he's an expert," Oin remarked happily.

"Me? No, no, I'm not a burglar, I've never stolen anything in my life."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins," Balin agreed, "he's hardly a burglar."

"Well," he responded, giving Balin the benefit of the doubt.

"The wilderness is no place for someone that can neither fight nor fend for himself," Dwalin added.

This sparked an argument, as some took it too personally.

"ENOUGH, WHEN I SAY THAT BILBO BAGGINS IS A BURGLAR, HE IS A BURGLAR!!!" the wizard spoke in a stern voice, rising from the table, "Hobbits are extraordinarily agile. When they want to, they move so that no one notices them. While the dragon can tell the dwarves by smelling what hobbits smell like, he has no idea, which gives us a considerable advantage. You asked me to choose the 14th member of the expedition, I chose Mr. Baggins, and he has more to offer than you know... nor does he, he has no idea. You have to trust me on that."

Neither Gandalf nor I counted as official members of the expedition. But I did draw up the contract.

Balin pulled out the contract and handed it to Thorin, who placed it in the hobbit's hands.

"There are the usual points, paid travel expenses, schedule, compensation, funeral expenses, and so on," I informed him.

"Funeral expenses?" He asked in surprise and began to read the contract.

Thorin stood up and whispered an announcement to Gandalf that he would not vouch for the hobbit. He didn't want Bilbo Baggins to hear him, which was understandable.

"Cremation?" The hobbit echoed when he got to that point in the contract.

"Oh yeah, he will burn the flesh off your bones without you even blinking," Bofur explained.

The hobbit felt sick.

"All good?" Balin asked.

"Yeah, just... a little sick."

"Imagine an oven, but with wings," Bofur added.

"I need air," the hobbit got out.

"A flash of light, a stabbing pain, and poof, you'll be left as a pile of ash."

"No," he replied, fainting.

"You really helped, Bofur," I spoke ironically.