CHAPTER TWO
THORIN OAKENSHIELD
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"Who's here?", I whispered to Kili, who stood nearby. As everyone began to move to the door, he murmured, "You'll see." , I went over to My Uncle and stood next to him, following him around and standing over beside him. Gandalf opened the door, and in walked a dwarf that resembled Kili in appearance but was way less attractive, he was a bit older as well, and had more facial hair.
"Gandalf, I thought you said this place was easy to find, I lost my way....twice. wouldn't have found it at all if it had not been for that mark on the door", he said as he entered our home. "Mark, there is no mark on that door it was painted a week ago", uncle Bilbo exclaimed walking across the hall. "Hey I was the one who painted that, it took me so long.", I complained as Gandalf quickly shut the front door, "But there is on fact a mark on the door I put it there myself.", he continued.
"Bilbo and Allísa Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield"
No way the King under the mountain, OMG!! I've read about his father and his ancestors in my books. He's much younger than I expected and to be honest he doesn't look much like I hoped. he looks mad when his face is resting and he smells of wet dog.
Thorin spoke, "So, this is the Hobbit and his neice", he says pointing to both of us, "Tell me master Baggins have you done any fighting?", he asked uncle, "What?", my uncle spoke, very confused. She shire was a very peaceful place no one would ever be seen fighting or getting into a war.
"Axe or sword...what's your weapon of choice?", he asked circling us both. My uncle rambled on, "well I do have a skill at conkers if you must know, but I would fail to see why that's relevant", I buried my head in my hands, "thought as much he looks more like a grocer than a burglar.", Thorin said as the company laughed with him, he turned to look at me, "And you My Lady which would you choose?", he asked me as I took my hands away from my face.
"In my opinion swords because the axe is very heavy to carry around but is easy to chop things up. But if you were to ask me between a sword and a bow, I would simply not be able to choose because they both have equal pros and cons", I say, once I had stopped talking all most all of the company was staring at me with their mouths wide open in shock and surprise whilst some were smirking and the others had innocent smiles.
"How on earth did you know that?" Balin asked "Well I may or may not have made my own weapons and practice with them", I spoke fast whilst laughing nervously at the end. They all stood in shock, probably because they weren't used to having a female with fighting experiences around.
After a while we all ended up sitting down around the table, well except for Bilbo who was stood against the doorframe. I sat in between Kili and Fili, "What news from the meeting in Erod Luin? Did they sall come", Balin asked, "Aye Envoys from all 7 Kingdoms"
Dwalin spoke "What did the dwarfs of the iron Hill say is staying with us?", he asked all their eyes turned to Thorin.
He took a deep breath before saying, "They will not come" groaning was heard from the company members "They said the quest as ours and ours alone.", he finished taking a drink.
"You're going on a quest?", I asked curiously. "Uhm Bilbo my dear fellow. Let us have a little more light.", Gandalf said and continued while setting a map on the table, "Far to the East over rangers and Rivers beyond Woodland and Wasteland, lies a single solitary peak", Gandalf says, Bilbo comes with a candle and holds it above the map slowly reading out, "The Lonely Mountain"
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountains as it was foretold, when the birds of our return to Erebor the reign of the beast will end."
"Beast? What beast?", Bilbo asked , "Well that would be reference to Smaug the terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age", Bofur answered, "Airborne, firebreather teeth like razors, claws like meat extremely fond of precious metals-"
"Yes I know what a dragon is", Bilbo said Ori than stood from his seat pushing the chair out behind him, "I'm not afraid I'm up for it it will give him a taste of it washes I am right up his jacksy", The company roared with cheers as I just sat there listening carefully.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us we are numbered just 13, not 13 of the best nor brightest", Balin said. Everyone started to roar complaints. Fili wacks his hand on the table beside me getting everyone to shut up, "We may be your number but we are Fighters all of us to the last dwarf"
'Nice pep talk' I thought to myself rolling my eyes.
"And have you forgotten that we have a wizard in our company Gandlaf would have killed hundreds of Dragons in his time", Kili said dropping an arm around my shoulder.
The whole tabled roared up as Gandalf was trying to speak but he kept getting interrupted. The whole table got up and starts to yell and bicker only to be cut off by Thorin yelling at them, "If we have read these signs do you not think others will have spread them too. Rumours have begun to spread, the dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years, eyes look East in the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lays unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?", Thorin says making the whole table of dwarfs rise in cheers.
"You forget the front gate is sealed", Balin speaks cutting the celebration, "There is no way into the mountain", Gandalf takes out a key out of his cloak pocket, "that my dear Balin is not entirely true."
"How come you buy this?", Thorin asked. "It was given to me by your father, for safe keeping it is yours now", Gandalf hands over the key to Thorin and he looks to carefully in his fingers as if it was fragile and going to break any second.
"If there is a key... there must be a door", Fili said cutting off the silence. Everyone turned to look at him when I just shrugged and spoke, "Well no shit, it's just common sense" Gandalf looks at the map pointing at something, "These ruins speak of hidden passages to the lower holes", he explains.
"There's another way in" Kili says pulling me closer to him wrapping his hands that was on my shoulder before on my waist making me blush ever so slightly. "If we can find it dwarf doors are invisible when closed", Gandalf sighed, he takes a short pause before continuing. "The answer lies somewhere hidden in this map, but I do not have the skill to find it, but there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in mind will required a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage", he takes a glance at me and Bilbo. "But if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done"
"That's why we need a burglar", Ori says.
"And a good one too", I say.
"Yep an expert and I imagine", Bilbo agrees.
"And are you two?", Gloin asked.
"Are we what?", Bilbo asks.
"He said they're experts say hey hey", Oin shouts.
"What no no no no", he says, "I'm not a burglar I've never stolen a thing in my life, although there was this one time Allísa stole a toy from the market but that was one time", kili then gave me a smirk and seems like he was going to burst out laughing so I lightly elbowed him in the arm.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Mister Baggins he's hardly burglar material, the lass maybe a bit but not him", the Elder dwarf spoke.
"Ai the lass is fine, but the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fights nor fend for themselves", The first dwarf who entered our home says. "Hey I have you know I am no gently folk and I know how to defend myself very well. Thank you very much. "
The whole table starts to talk more and more and then a dark shadow hovers over the table I look to see Gandalf stood over it, "Enough if I say that Bilbo and Allísa Baggins are burglars than burglars they are", he says silencing the whole room, the shadow clears and he sits back on the chair, "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet and they can go unseen by most of they choose. Elves as well are light and have good combat in there genes. They are agile and I know that she is capable of many things. And where the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf the scent of hobbit and elf is entirely but unknown to him.", Gandalf says.
"You asked me to find the 14th and 15th member of your company and I have chosen Mister Baggins and Allísa Baggins. There is a lot more to them than appearances suggest, and they have a great deal more to offer that anyone you know including themselves", Gandalf says, "You must trust me on this. I know they are right for the job."
"Very well, we'll do it your way. Give them our contract.", Thorin says to Balin. "Alright, we're off.", Bofur says. "It's just the usual, summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements. So forth-", Balin says handing Bilbo some paper, "Funeral arrangements?", Bilbo says, opening it.
"I'll have to get you to sign one too lass.", Balin says handing me one as well. "Allísa, you are not signing anything until I have read this though." I rolled my eyes placing the paper in my pocket whilst my uncle stops on something, "incineration?", he asked the company.
"Aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.", one of the dwarfs says, this won't go very well, I could tell already, "just think furnace with wings", I stood up taking Kili's arm from around my waist and walking over to where Gandalf was sat, "I-I-I need air.", my uncle stutters.
"Flash of light, searing pain the poof....your nothing but a pile of ash", my uncle stopped, "Nope.", Bilbo says after some time and falls to the ground with a thud.
"Nicely done Bofur", I say sarcastically going over to Bilbo to help him up, "Can someone help me here?", no one gets up instead they snicker at the poor unconscious hobbit, "Fine I'll bloody do it myself. Stupid stubborn dwarfs", I mumbled. Gandalf slightly laughs at the dwarfs silent faces. I grab Bofur's ale and my own and poured it onto Bilbo and in an instant he wakes up.
Moments later after I sorted out my uncle, I walked into the living room seeing them all singing a very depressing song, I walked in and sat down next to Kili on the couch listening to them sing. I felt myself getting sleepy and my eyes getting heavy as they sang.
*Far over the misty mountain cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To find out long forgotten gold
The pines were roaring on the lights
The wind were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light.*