"What a beautiful little country," Thraya sighed, looking out over the rolling hills of the Shire. "It's a shame we won't be here long."
Balin chuckled. "Aye, that'd be the Woodland Elf in you, child. But my home will always be in the mountains."
"Of course," Thraya said. "Now, where is this notorious burglar we are meeting?"
"All the way at the end, according to Gandalf."
"Well, the sun's low, but we should be there by nightfall," Thraya guessed, patting her pony's flank. They continued down the road at a rather leisurely pace when they heard hoofbeats behind them. Well, Thraya heard them. As the riders got closer, Thraya caught a bit of their conversation and her face split into a grin.
"You go on, Balin, I'll be right behind you."
Balin looked back to see the two approaching figures and smiled. "Alright then. I'll see you shortly."
Thraya quickly led her steed off the road and into the cover of a few trees. She wasn't about to let a perfectly good opportunity for a jump scare go by her. She pulled the hood over her head, covering her eyes and drew her sword.
"I'm telling you, that Halfling woman we passed was staring at you!" one voice insisted.
"Well, of course, she was! They don't get dwarves in these parts often. And they don't carry arms. We stand out."
The clopping of the horses was right upon Thraya. She nudged her pony's sides and leaped out at the approaching dwarves, swinging the flat of her blade at the nearest one.
As expected, he did not see her coming and took a hard but non-lethal blow to the arm.
"What the..." his outburst was cut off by a raucous laugh. Thraya's hood fell off in her sudden movement and her eyes were dancing with merriment.
"It's good to see you, boys!"
"Thraya!" Kili finally exclaimed. "You've changed quite a bit!"
Fili looked puzzled. "Thraya? No, you can't be. Thraya's just a little baby!"
"Baby or not, I can still beat your ass!" she chuckled.
Fili smiled. "Ah, it's good to see you too, little elleth! I would have thought you'd be at least twice our height by now."
"I'm glad you aren't," Kili said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It makes this so much easier!" He reached over and tugged on one of her little braids.
Thraya rolled her eyes. "Glad to see you matured in the last few decades."
"Ah, Kili will never grow up," Fili stage-whispered.
Kili smirked. "Well, if I have to, I will, but since you are Uncle's heir, I get to sit back and relax!"
"Well, come on! There's a quest at the end of the road! There will be plenty of time to catch up later. Besides, I'm hungry."
Fili chuckled. "And a hungry Thraya is nothing to take lightly."
"Hey, Ray!" Kili shouted, a wide grin on his face. "Race you there!"
"Oh, you're on!"
The two spurred their mounts and took off wildly, leaving Fili's protests behind.
"Oh, those two..." he muttered, before taking off with a laugh.
By the time he caught up, Thraya was gracefully dismounting and tying her pony to a fence post. Two other animals were already grazing.
"That's Balin's," Thraya said. "This must be the right place. Now, boys, be polite. This kind Halfling..."
"Polite?"
"Us?"
"Never!" they said together.
Thraya just rolled her eyes. "You two..."
"Oh, come, now, Thraya! We're only having fun!" Kili said cheekily, giving her a side hug as Fili knocked on the door. Moments later, it opened, revealing a little man, not much taller than Thraya.
"Fili"
"And Kili"
"At your service!"
Thraya rolled her eyes again. Those boys...
"You must be Mr. Boggins!" Kili observed. Thraya couldn't stop the groan that escaped her lips.
Baggins. It was Baggins. Honestly...
The two made their way through the door despite the poor hobbit's protests. Gandalf must have forgotten to tell him...
Thraya walked in after them and greeted the unwitting host graciously.
"I apologize on behalf of those boys. But don't take it personally. They're always like that."
"Yes...well..." Bilbo seemed flustered and distracted.
"A house full of dwarves is no joke to feed. Can I help with that at all?"
"Uh...well, absolutely..."
Something else caught his attention and he walked away scolding someone. Thraya let out a small chuckle and headed into the kitchen.
Thraya was a pretty withdrawn and non-confrontational elf. With the exceptions of her family, none of these dwarves knew her, and until her father arrived, she didn't fancy being the only elf in a room full of dwarves. So she hid in the kitchen, cooking. At one point, a dwarf in a lopsided hat came in.
"Pardon me, Miss Baggins?"
It took Thraya a second to realize he was talking to her.
"Where could I find the tea?"
Thraya bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. They thought she was a hobbit!
Well, better that than an elf for now. She pointed to a nearby cupboard, focusing on the stew she was making. He thanked her and left.
"'Miss Baggins'?" a familiar voice asked with a laugh.
"Oh, shut up, Fili," she grumbled. "Could you be helpful and bring this pot out? It's hot."
Fili, still chuckling, took the pot carefully by the handle and carried it out.
"Is there something you need to tell us, Thraya?" Kili asked.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."
"When did you become a hobbit?" he demanded.
Thraya cast a quick glance at him before flinging the knife she had been using at his face. It impaled the wall by his ear, causing him to jump with a rather undignified squeal.
"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry!" he said, running back out of the room.
Thraya smirked and was about to start cleaning after herself when a flying plate narrowly missed her face. She caught it before it could hit the wall and set it down. The dwarves had begun a chaotic assembly line.
"Oh, no. I'm having no part of this!" She shouted to Fili. His only response was a loud chortle. She ducked quickly out of the way and found a quieter hallway to sit down.
That's when the singing started. Poor Bilbo. The dwarves were such teasing immature little boys. Even the old ones.
Thraya sighed and leaned back in the chair by the fire as the song ended.
Three booming knocks echoed through the now silent halls.
Thraya cracked a grin. She knew that knock.
She stood behind the group, as usual, waiting for her father to greet the others.
"Ah, Gandalf," he said. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way. Twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for the mark on the door."
"Mark? N-no, there's no mark on that door! It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo protested.
"There is a mark, I put it there myself," Gandalf said. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of this company, Thorin Oakenshield."
"So," Thorin said, being slightly more intimidating than necessary. Thraya thought it was a rather funny spectacle, seeing such a kind and dear father playing the part of a gruff and fierce leader. "This is the hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?"
"Axe or sword?" Thorin inquired, ignoring the hobbit, circling him like a vulture. "What's your weapon of choice?"
"Well, I do have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."
"Thought as much," Thorin turned to the company as if sharing a joke. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."
The party moved out of the entryway and towards the room where the dwarves had eaten. Thraya leaned against the rounded archway as they passed.
"I saved you a bowl of soup," she said softly as Thorin passed her. He smiled and wrapped her in a hug.
"Thraya," he said gently. "I've missed you."
She rolled her eyes. "It hasn't been that long."
Thorin fixed her with a falsely stern look. "You've been hanging around Fili and Kili, haven't you? It only takes a second for them to rub off on you..."
Kili sidled up to Thorin. "What can we say? We're just naturally charismatic!"
"Come, children," he said with a chuckle. "It is time the company knew of Thraya."
"Nah," Kili said. "Wait for the right moment if you're going for shock value. As of right now, they think she's a hobbit. At least, Bofur does."
Thorin chuckled. "Unlike you, I am not overly obsessed with theatrics."
"You'll see, uncle!" Kili insisted. "You'll know when the moment is right!"
Thorin sighed, exasperated as they made their way to the table. But before the leader could introduce Thraya, Balin spoke up.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"
"Aye," Thorin answered. "Envoys from all seven kingdoms."
"And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" inquired Dwalin. "Is Dain with us?"
"They will not come," Thorin said, his voice heavy. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."
"Y-you're going on a quest?" Bilbo squeaked.
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light!"
The hobbit brought a candle as Gandalf spread out a map. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."
Bilbo peaked over the wizard's shoulder and read off the map. "The Lonely Mountain."
Gloin spoke up eagerly. "Aye, Oin had read the portents and the portents say: it is time."
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold," Oin added. "When the birds of the old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."
Bilbo looked positively alarmed. "Uh...what beast?"
The tactless one, Bofur, spoke up. "Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airbourne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals."
"Yes, I know what a dragon is," Bilbo blustered.
"I'm not afraid!" one of the smaller dwarves yelled, standing up. "I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!"
"Good lad, Ori!" Gloin acclaimed.
"Sit down!" Dori hissed at his irresponsible brother.
Balin looked troubled. "The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just fourteen, and not fourteen of the best, nor brightest."
"Hey!" Ori shouted. "Who are you calling dim?"
"We may be few in number," Fili said, ever the voice of reason. "But we're fighters, all of us! To the last dwarf!"
"And you forget we have a wizard in our company!" Kili added naively. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!"
Thraya subtly covered her snort with a discreet turn. Thorin sat silently, surveying his companions with a rather amused and frustrated expression.
"Oh, well..." Gandalf protested. "No, uh, I...I wouldn't say..."
"How many then?" Dori inquired, taking Gandalf's annoyance as a show of modesty.
"What?" Gandalf stalled.
"Well, how many dragons have you killed?" Dori pressed. "Go on, give us a number!"
As Gandalf faked choking on his pipe smoke, a heated argument broke out, causing Thraya to let out an exasperated sigh. Dwarves... She loved them and had always considered herself closer to a dwarf than an elf, but they were a rowdy crowd.
"Shazara!" Thorin shouted. "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 sixty 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?"
Thraya had to hand it to him. He was a natural leader.
"You forget, the Front Gate is sealed," Balin pointed out.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said, finally recovered from his coughing fit. He pulled out an iron key of dwarvish make. Thorin looked at the key in wonder, hesitant to touch it lest it was to disappear.
"How come you by this?" he demanded in a low voice.
"It was given to me by your father. By Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now."
Thorin took the key gingerly and then clutched it like it was his life-line.
"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili pointed out.
"Oh, very well spotted," Thraya muttered sarcastically.
"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the Lower Halls," Gandalf said.
"There's another way in!" Kili exclaimed.
"Well, if we can find it, but Dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map...and 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 require a great deal of stealth...and no small amount of courage. But if we are careful and clever, I believe it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori realized.
"Hmm. And a good one too," Bilbo said, oblivious. "An expert, I'd imagine."
"And are you?" Gloin asked.
"Am I what?"
"He said he's an expert!" Oin exclaimed, to the delight of the general public.
"Me?" Bilbo protested. "No. No, no, no. I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!"
"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Balin said stenrly, though not unkindly.
Thraya gave him a sympathetic glance.
"Aye," Dwalin said gruffly. "The Wild is no place for gentle-folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves."
"Enough!" Gandalf roared, standing and casting a dramatic gust of wind about the room. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is. Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of Dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the 15th member of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. You must trust me on this."
The wizard and the dwarf king held an intense staring contest for a moment before Thorin finally nodded.
"Very well. We'll do it your way. Give him the contract!"
Balin produced a sheaf of paper and handed it to the hobbit. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" the poor hobbit stuttered. Thraya couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor little creature. He was in way over his head. But if Gandalf chose him, he couldn't be too pathetic. Thorin and Gandalf had a quick whispered conversation and Thraya just continued standing behind the group, enough that she would be out of the center of attention.
"Total cash upon delivery, up to but not exceeding, one-fourteenth of total profit if any...Seems fair. Uh...The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to...lacerations. Evisceration...Incineration?"
The poor, poor halfling.
"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye," Bofur pointed out, with the air of one being helpful.
"You alright, laddie?" Balin inquired.
"Obviously not," Thraya muttered, unheard by all but her father, who smiled slightly wryly.
"Huh?" the hobbit asked, startled out of his reverie. "Yeah, I feel...I feel a bit faint."
"Think furnace with wings!" Bofur called.
"Air...I...I...I need air."
"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"
"Hm...Nope."
"Oh, very helpful Bofur," Gandalf sarcastically scolded, moving the hobbit to another room to revive him.
"Well, if he doesn't want to, perhaps his sister would be up for it. What about it, eh, Miss Baggins? You seem a bit less fazed by the prospect."
Kili choked on his ale and Fili snorted. Thorin took a confused look at Bofur before realizing where he was looking.
"Bofur," the king said seriously, the twinkle in his eyes betraying him. "Did you just call my daughter a hobbit?"
All conversation halted instantly.
"Well, this ought to be interesting!" Kili announced loudly.
"Thorin? A daughter?" Gloin puffed. "Since when? She doesn't look like a dwarf!"
Thraya drew slightly inward, taking a small step back. The scrutiny of so many unfamiliar eyes was frightening.
"Thraya isn't a dwarf," Thorin said, reaching out a hand for her. She took it and he pulled her closer to the group, one arm protectively around her shoulders. "She is an elf. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at her mother's time of need and Thraya has been the light of my life ever since."
"An elf?" Dwalin protested. "You took in an elf?"
Thorin fixed him with a glare. "Thraya and her mother Tahra were abandoned by their kin in a time of need. I saw our plight in her and refused to be guilty of the same crimes of Thranduil."
"If it helps," Thraya said in a small voice. "I'm only an elf by blood. I have been raised as a dwarf."
The silence was broken by a low whistle from Fili.
"Well," Thorin said, clapping his hands together. "Glad that's settled."
"See what I was saying about the right moment and shock value?" Kili said pointedly, getting only an eye roll from his uncle.
Thraya walked down the hall and found several shelves full of books. The rest of the party dispersed a bit, carrying on different conversations and setting Mr. Baggins' home back to its previous orderly state. Well, they certainly can work efficiently, if messily. She made her way back to her father and found him talking to Balin.
"It appears we have lost our burglar," Balin said sadly to Thorin. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers. Hardly the stuff of legend."
"There are a few warriors amongst us," Thorin countered.
"Old warriors."
"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask for no more than that."
"You don't have to do this," Balin said. "You have a choice."
"He's right, father," Thraya said. "You have done honorably by your people. You have built a new life for them...and me, in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty."
"A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor," Balin insisted.
Thorin held up the key. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."
"Nor for me," Thraya said. "For my place is at your side."
"Then we are with you, laddie," Balin promised. "We will see it done."
Before retiring for the night, the dwarves gathered about the fire. The flickering flames in the hobbit's hearth sparked memories in Thorin's heart and brought a song to his lips.
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To find our long-forgotten gold
Thraya knew this song. Thorin used to sing it for her every night as he tucked her in bed.
The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light.
Shazara: Silence
Hey, so I hope you're all enjoying this story so far!! I'll try to update every Saturday, but I'm starting college in a couple weeks, so we'll see how that goes! Anyway, let me know what you think, and if you thought it was decent, pls vote! Thank you!
Dawn