𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭

Chapter 5

// No POV //

Balin sighs as he watches you leave from the dining hall to then stare at Thorin. "You were too harsh, Thorin." The king sits on the chair, catching his nephews staring at you like if you were some kind of coin. "Maybe she has a reason to come with us and by judging her she might feel neglected." Fili nods at Balin's words. "Who knows, maybe she can be vital for the company." And Kili doesn't stay behind. "What's best than a beautiful woman taking care of us?"

Thorin sighs as he heard Balin and his nephews' words, some of the dwarves agreeing with them as the king starts eating. "What news from the meeting in Eren Luid? Did they all come?"

"Aye. Envoys from all the seven kingdoms." Everyone around him cheered. "And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Thorin paused a bit and then looked at his company. "They will not come... They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

"You are going on a quest?" You came back to the dining hall to see everyone quiet after Bilbo's question, the princes of Durin staring at you again to Balin's amusement and for Thorin's disgrace. Gandalf looked at me and then at Bilbo, coughing a bit. "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light." Bilbo went to search for a candle as you stayed with the dwarves, getting close to Gandalf.

"Far to the East... Over ranges and rivers... Beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak." Bilbo got close to the company as he read the paper. "The Lonely Mountain."

"Aye, Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time."

// Reader's POV //

Time? Time for what? For them to go back to the Lonely Mountain? "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold. 'When the birds of yore return to Erebor... The reign of the beast will end.'"

"Uh..." I turn around to see Bilbo, he seemed a bit frightened. "What beast?"

"That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather. Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious materials." I like how Bofur is trying to give Bilbo chills. "Yes, I know what a dragon is." It didn't work, much.

"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie." I held a snicker as everyone started to cheer for Ori.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just 13. Not 13 of the best... Nor brightest." Balin has said it all, and everyone started to go against him for calling them idiots.

"We may be few in number!" I looked at the dwarf with golden hair, Fili if I'm not wrong. "But we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

"And you forget, we have a wizard and a witch in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time! And (Y/N) must have a lot more experience in magic and defense!" I shook my head and Gandalf almost choked on his breath. "Oh, well, no. I wouldn't say..."

"How many then?" Gandalf didn't even know what to say. "Well, how many dragons have you killed?" Thorin and I looked at Gandalf, not knowing what to say, everyone kept quiet and the wizard started coughing his fumes. "Gandalf, just breath." I whispered to him.

"Go on! Give us a number!" The dwarves started to throw insults and almost punching each other from the other side of the table, Bilbo tried to calm them down. "Excuse me! Please!" But it was no use.

"SHAZARA!" With Thorin's powerful scream everyone sat down and kept their mouth shut. "If we have read these signs do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug, has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?" This time the dwarves cheered, but it was soon finished by Balin's words. "You forget, the Front Gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."