The dwarves and Gandalf didn't seem to think she was multitasking, being to occupied with her book, but she was. Of course, she was listening. Gandalf opened the door and heavy footsteps entered the hobbit's house. At that sound alone, Andy felt the urge to gag.
"We won't get along," she muttered into her book and turned to the next page. There was too much stubbornness, dominance and leadership in those steps.
"Gandalf," the newcomer greeted. Andy's eyes widened slightly. Oh, Mahal. That voice. "I thought you said this place was easy to find. I lost my way twice. If it wasn't for the mark on the door, I would haven never found it. "
And the moment of fascination was over. Andy looked up from her book with a frown.
"What mark?" she called from the couch. All the dwarves turned around. At last Andy could see the new dwarf. He was quite tall for his race, had dark wavy hair and piercing blue eyes. As they all stared at her and the new dwarf, she just raised an eyebrow. "Well? I'm not going to ask again."
"Gandalf drew a mark on the door, so we knew to which house we had to go", Fili explained. Andy's eyes fixed on Gandalf.
"You. Did. What?" she asked in a dangerously calm voice. When he hesitated to answer, she jumped up and hurried to the door. She pushed the new dwarf aside and stepped out to see for herself. Indeed. There was a glowing blue letter burnt into the wood. It was the dwarven rune F and meant thief.
"Andrea, may I introdice you to the leader of this company..."
"What the F?" she muttered. She put her hands on her hips and turned to Gandalf. "So now I'm a thief? What were you thinking?! Bilbo is going to kill me! "
"So this is one of the Hobbits", the newcomer observed. He was scrutinizing her and started to cirlce around her. She tried to stay calm, eventhough he was going on her already short nervs. "Tell me, Miss Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
She snorrted. "Please. Who hasn't. I've been in enough fights, to be able to kick all your asses out of my house if you don't finally tell me, what the hell is going on here!"
Gandalf got nervous. He knew very well, how true that statement was. And to say, that she was in a few fights, was an understatement. It was more like... a few battles. And she survived every one of them.
"Axe or sword? What is your weapon of choice?", the newcome continued questioning her. She narrowed her eyes.
"The axe is good for chopping. But with the sword, you're much more swifter and it's easier to get around big oponents. I personally prefer my daggers. With them you can get closer to your opponent and hurt them in very painful ways. " Her answer suprised him. Standing still in his tracks, he eyes her closely.
"Who are you exactely?"
"Who am I?" she repeated his question, pointing at herself. "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?" he snarled impatiently. Andy just grinned at him.
"I'm the thief," she replied, pulling a cute face. She became serious again. "And I suppose you're the reason your people invaded my house, ate all my food, used the furniture as a doormat. Now I have to write my will because if I don't starve to death within the next month, my cousin will kill me for the mess you made. "
Arrogantly he smiled down at her. "She looks more like a houswife than a burglar", he stated, earning little laugher from his friends and familiy. Anger flood through Andys veins.
There was nothing wrong with being a housewife. But Andy did not like it, to be narrowed down to only that. She was an excellent burglar, they just didn't know that yet. And she could probably fight better than any of them, with all the experience she had. But this snob of a dwarf walked straight into her house and thought after forty-five seconds of conversation, he had her all figured out.
"Wow. You must be so proud of yourself. To have the courage to show up at someone else's house and make asumptions of them, olny based on their appearance. It seems like your parents didn't raise you well, now did they. It's as if I'd say you don't look like a warrior, and more like a stableboy. "
"Andrea, please. Stop being so dramatic and come back inside so we can talk business. ", Gandalf said annoyed. She did as she was told and went back inside. As everyone turned away to go back into the dining room, she slammed the door shut with her foot. The loud bang made everyone jump in surprise. Gandalf gave her a disaproving look.
"Oopsie," she chirped and put on a smile. Grumbling, the dwarves continued on their way. The new dwarf sat down and a red-bearded dwarf wanted to give him something to eat. But Andrea had other plans and snatched it right from under the new dwarf's nose. She wanted answers at last. And this dwarf would not fill his stomach until she got some. With an indignant look, all the men stared at her.
"What was that for?" barked the red bearded.
"Shut up!",Andy snapped back. The newcomer stood up and towered over her angrily.
"You don't talk to Gloin like that. To any of them!" he roared. Andy looked up at him.
"Nobody asked you, tramp," she shot back. More than one gasp was to be heard.
"How dare you!" Kili shouted, jumping up from his seat. "Have you any idea, whom you are speaking to?"
Andy just lifted an eyebrow, not breaking the eye contact with the blue-eyes dwarf in front of her. "No idea. However, I'm positive, you are about to tell me. "
"This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. King under the lonely mountain", Fili presented his uncle with pride in his voice.
"Oh. Is that so?", Andy asked mockingly and bowed to him. "Welcome to my humble home, Princess. However, I've heard someone new moved in under the mountain."
An angry growl escaped Thorin. His hand went to his belt where his weapon hung. But before he could either kill her, skin her or yeet her to the moon and back, Gandalf interfered.
"Andrea! That's enough of you for one night!" his angry voice called across the room. She had crossed a line. "Now give this poor dwarf his food. He's come a long way and has a long way to go. Leave him be."
Andrea turned to him and they engaged in a silent stare battle. Suddenly, Andrea realized, what she was diong. Biblo would be so disapointed in her. The Hobbit inside of her took over again. She gently put the plate on the table again, hoasting her guest like a Hobbit should.
"Enjoy," was all she said to Thorin, gave him a smile and went back to her usual place, the couch. For a second Thorin stared after this little woman, not knowing what had just happened.
"What is the news from the meeting in Erid Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked as Thorin ate. Andy thought that was kind of rude. They should at least let the poor guy finish his meal in peace before pestering him with questions. Accept her, of course. She's allowed to pester anyone whenever she wants.
"Aye", Princess under the mountain confirmed. "Envoys from all seven kingdoms. "
"And what do the dwarves from the Iron Hills say", Balin urged further. "Is Dain with us?"
Thorin suddenly didn't seem so hungry anymore and put his spoon down. "They will not come. They say this quest is ours and ours alone. "
Andy frowned. Even though she didn't yet know what this council was about, she felt ashamed that no one wanted to help. Especially their own people. With a deep sigh, Andy shut her book again, voluntarily for the first time in a long time. Her beloved stories would have to wait. Reality needed her.
"You going on a quest?", she spoke up.
"Andrea, my dear, let us have a little more light," Gandalf asked. Quickly she got up, brought another candle to the table and placed it next to Thorin.
"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers. Beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solidary peak." Gandalf took a map out of his pocket and placed it on the table for everyone to see.
"The lonely mountain", Andy whispered, reading the map over Thorin's shoulder.
"Aye," confirmed the red-bearded dwarf, who Andy now knew was called Gloin. "Oin has read the portends and the portends say, it is time!"
"The ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold", an old dwarf continued. Andy assumed that was Oin. "When the bird of the yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end. "
"What beast?", Andy asked.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible", the dwarf with the funny hat spoke up. "Chiefest and greatest calamity, of our age. Air born fire breather. Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious metal. "
"A dragon!", Andy exclaimed excited. The dwarf looked at her with a wide grin.
"I'm not afraid!", an adorable young dwarf shouted and jumped out of his chair. "I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!"
"Sit down", the dwarf next to him said. Andy had to smile. He was naive, but brave, that was for sure.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. And with a number of thirteen and not thirteen of the best. Nor brightest", Balin said dejectedly and trailed off. The dwarves started to protest.
"Who do you call dim?"
"That's not nice, Balin," Andy scolded him. Astonished, Balin, Thorin and Gandalf stared at her. They hadn't expected that, from their rude hostess with no filter in her language. That is, until a mischievous grin appeared on her face. "You stole my line. Also, you really need to work on your insults. "
"We may be few in number. But we're fighters! All of us, to the last dwarf!", Fili called out, drawing everyone's attention.
"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company", Kili exclaimed excited. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time. "
"Oh well no I – I wouldn't say...", Gandalf started to stutter. Andy covered her mouth too not laugh out loud.
"How many then?", a dwarf asked.
"What?"
"How many dragons have you killed?"
Gandalf did not know what to say.
"Go on! Give us a number!"
A heated argument broke out about how many dragons Gandalf had slain. Andy could no longer hold it in. She burst out laughing. At first no one paid any attention to her, but when she held her stomach and fell to the ground, the discussion calmed down and everyone stared at her small figure. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the laughter.
"I was right, Balin. You guys really don't have a lot between your ears. "
She wiped a tear from her face and stood up again. "Gandalf has never slain a single dragon. He may be old, but not that old. "
Not happy with that, the dwarves started muttering again. Thorin had enough and stood up.
"Shazara!", he yelled and everyone fell silent instantly. Andy just rolled her eyes.
"Shut up yourself", she mumbled to herself. But Gandalf heard it and gave her a disapproving look. Again. She just shrugged it off.
"If we have read these signs, do you not think others have read them to? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen in sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain, 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 size this chance to take back Erebor? Du bekâr! Du bekâr!"
Everyone cheered.
"You forget, the front door is sealed. There is no way in the mountain.", Balin dampened the mood again.
"Balin, you need to lighten up", Andy commented, but was ignored by everyone.
"That, my dear Balin is not entirely true", Gandalf said, with a twinkle in his eyes. Out of nowhere, he had a key in his hand. Thorin eyes it curious.
"How came you by this?", he asked Gandalf with surprise in his voice, as he recognised the key.
"It was given to me by your father, Thrain. It is yours now."
The key was handed to Thorin. Andy just rolled her eyes. It was a key. It probably opened something. What was so special about that? The dwarves were quiet.
"Where there's a key, there's a door", Fili finally caught on and got excited. Andy rolled her eyes again. Gandalf pointed to the map on the table.
"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls. "
Silence.
"There's another way in!" This time it was Kili. Andrea face palmed.
"I present to you the line of Durin", she muttered. "One as daft as the other. "