I can see Kili and Fili throwing plates from one another to someone else in the house on the hill in Hobbiton.
The closer I get to the house the louder I can hear the others. I laugh a little when I realize that they are singing.
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
I look at my companion and nods towards the green door.
- This is the house Thorin. I can see and hear it. And there's the mark Gandalf said would be.
Thorin nods and smiles before he loudly knocks on the door three times.
- You know. You could have used the doorbell just as well.
I say shrugging a little.
- I know.
Thorin answers before he goes silent, so we can hear what's happening inside.
Everyone has gone silent and we hear Gandalf say:
- He is here.
"Thanks for forgetting me Gandalf."
The door opens and there they are. The company of Thorin Oakenshield. We are fourteen not counting Gandalf which makes us fifteen. Hopefully I am looking at the sixteenth member of the company. Mr. Bilbo Baggins. A Hobbit? Well, Gandalf must have known what he was thinking when he chose him.
- Gandalf.
Thorin says and walks in with me right behind him.
Thorin look at Dwalin and Dori and smiles. They return the smile and bow to him. To me they just smile. But I return the smile and walk past Thorin and walk to Kili who smiles with his whole face when he sees me.
- I thought you said this place would be easy to find. We lost our way, twice. We wouldn't have fond it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.
I look at Bilbo who looks so confused. Suddenly I feel an arm go around my waist. I smile when I understand that my older brother Kili is hugging me in our secret way. No one else can see it if they don't know where to look. Fili is quick to do the same.
I smile at them before I keep on listening on the conversation.
- So, this is the Hobbit.
Thorin says while he gives his cape to Kili. Fili have already taken mine. Thorin then walks around Bilbo while he continues to talk to the Hobbit.
- Tell me Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?
- Pardon me?
- Axe or Sword? What's your weapon of choice?
"- He has just got to meet him, and he is already pushing him down."
I whisper to Kili who shrugs.
"- That's Thorin."
He answers.
"Yepp. That's Thorin right. Not being the leader, he should be."
- Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer then a burglar.
Everyone starts to laugh except me, and we walk after Thorin to the dining room.
And that place looks like…
I don't even know how to describe it. The only word that comes to my mind is destroyed, and that is not the whole picture.
Now when we're all seated, I can introduce the rest of the company. Thorin you already know, and Fili and Kili.
Then we have: Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Oin and Gloin.
Ori looks at me and smiles while he gives me a plate with food on which I take returning the smile. I have just started to eat when:
- Excuse me? I don't want to sound rude, but who is she?
Bilbo stands at the end of the room behind Thorin and look at me who is sitting between Fili and Kili (where else?). I look at Thorin and he does a gesture with his hand to show that I can tell him.
I swallow the food I have managed to eat and says:
- I'm Ratcha. I'm the adoptive sister to Fili and Kili.
- So, you are not a Dwarf?
That makes me smile and the rest of the Dwarves laugh. Thorin rolls his eyes and continues to eat.
- No Mr. Baggins. I'm not a Dwarf.
- So, what are you then?
- That we can take another day.
I say and give Bilbo a smile. Bilbo looks so confused and is on the way to say something more when Balin interrupts.
- What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?
- Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms.
I feel the happiness and joy that fills the room and I feel a little guilty of their joy. Not everything went as we expected it to happen in Ered Luin.
- What do the Dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?
Thorin looks at me and I nod my head slightly showing him that I can say it.
- They will not come.
I say and put down the piece of bread I have been chewing on and continues.
- They say this quest is ours, and ours alone.
Some of the Dwarves starts to mumble bitterly to one another and I can't blame them, I also got a little angry on Dain when he said that.
- You going on a quest?
Bilbo ask looking at us confused.
- Bilbo my dear fellow, let us have a little more light.
Gandalf say, and Bilbo walks away to get a candle or something. In the meantime, Gandalf speaks.
- Far to the East, over rangers and rivers, beyond the woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak.
While he says this, he takes out a map and, in that moment, Bilbo comes back with a candle. He leans forwards to be able to read what it says on the map.
- The Lonely Mountain.
- Aye. Oin has read the portents and the portent say it is time.
Says Gloin.
- Ravens have been seen flying to the mountain as it was for told. When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end.
- Uh, what beast?
Poor Bilbo looks terrified.
- Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age.
Bofur says and then continues.
- Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals…
- Yes, I know what a Dragon is.
Suddenly Ori stands up and says
- I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie.
"Sorry Ori for laughing at you. But that sounded so weird and funny in the same time."
Dori drags Ori down telling him to sit down while several of the Dwarves shot at each other.
- The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number fourteen, and not fourteen of the best, nor brightest.
Balin says.
That causes all of them to objecting, saying things like someone is dim and so on.
- What did he say?
Oin says.
Poor Oin. Can't hear a thing without his hearing trumpet.
Fili slams his hand in the table while saying:
- We may be few in numbers, but we fighters, all of us, to the last Dwarf!
"I like that they either have forgotten me, which I doubt or that they are counting me as a Dwarf, when I just have said I'm not."
- And you forget, we have a Wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of Dragons in his time.
"That my dear brother, I don't think is entirely true."
- Well, now I-I-I wouldn't say that I…
- How many then?
Dori ask looking at Gandalf like a kid in a candy store.
- Uh what?
Gandalf starts to get nervous and is looking around nervously.
"Is there something you haven't told us, Gandalf?"
- Well, how many Dragons have you killed? Come on gives us a number.
When Gandalf doesn't answer everyone starts to argue about how many Dragons Gandalf have killed. The noise they are making becomes too much for my ears and I cover them with my hands to stop the loudest of noise to get in.
- Shazara!
"Thanks, Thorin for screaming at them to keep silent. My ears didn't like them. Not your screaming either."
- If we have read those sings, 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? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!
"To arms! To arms! You don't think we already have taken what weapons we can carry?"
Everyone is cheering. Well, everyone except Balin.
- You forget, the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain.
- That my dear Balin, is not entirely true.
Gandalf says and holds up a Dwarf's key. I look at the key with wonder and I feel Thorin does it to.
- How came you by this?
- It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now.
Gandalf gives the key to Thorin as the rest of us looks in wonder.
- If there is a key, there must be a door.
"You don't say? Why wouldn't there be a door if there is a key Fili? You need to have a door to be able to make a key."
Gandalf points on something on his map. Runes I think it is.
- These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls.
Kili puts his hand on my shoulder, a smile on his face. I can feel his joy and enthusiasm.
- There's another way in!
- 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 that it can be done.
- That's why we need a burglar.
Ori says.
- Hm, A good one too. An expert I imagine.
Bilbo says, and everyone look at him, some with hope in their eyes.
- And are you?
Gloin ask suspicious.
- Am I what?
- He said he's an expert! Hey, hey!
Oin say and several of Dwarves laugh.
- M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life.
- I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material.
Balin say which Bilbo nods in agreement.
- Aye, the Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.
Dwalin say which Bilbo nods in agreement again. The Dwarves start to argue. Fili and Kili screams at one another over my head.
Suddenly I feel an anger so powerful that it scares me. I pinch both Kili and Fili in their legs which makes them squeal and look at me angry. But when they see my terrified face, they look at each other and calms down and goes silent so they can listen on what's going on around the table.
In that same moment Gandalf rises to his full height. Now I know where the anger I felt before came from.
- Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is.
He has cast darkness over the room and have spoken with a powerful voice. But now the darkness disappears, and he speaks in his 'normal' voice again. Well, that voice he normally speaks in. You never know with Gandalf. He has a mysterious personality.
- 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 fifteen members of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him then appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer then any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this.
Gandalf look at Thorin, waiting for him to answer.
- Very well. We do it your way.
Poor Bilbo looks terrified and says.
- No, no, no. Please.
But no one listens to his pleading and Thorin turns to look at Balin.
- Give him the contract.
- Alright, we're off.
Bofur say and look at me with joy in his eyes and I smile. He and I was the only ones to be really sure about this adventure. Even Thorin doubted that we would do it.
Balin stand up and give Bilbo a piece of paper saying.
- It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth.
- Funeral arrangements?
Bilbo says while he back away from the room to read the contract. In the same time Thorin stand up and leans toward Gandalf saying something I can't hear from where I'm sitting.
"- How is it with mother?"
Fili asks.
"- She was fine until Thorin came and said I had to follow him to Ered Luin. It looked like she wanted to kill him right there. At first, she didn't want me to follow him because she didn't want to lose me to you know. I don't know what Thorin did to get her to let me follow him. But she's fine what I know."
"- Uncle always know what he should say and do to mother to get his will through."
Kili says and laugh.
I smile and want to talk more about mother and Thorin, but I get interrupted to hear Bilbo reading the contract out loud.
- … Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence there of including but not limited to lacerations… evisceration… incineration?
The last word he says and look at us, fear written all over his face.
- Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.
Bofur says like it is nothing to worry about.
"Stop it Bofur."
- Huh.
- You all right, laddie?
Balin asks.
Sweet Balin, always worries about everyone else except himself.
Bilbo have bend over trying to not fall.
- Uh, yeah… feel a bit faint.
- Think furnace with wings.
"You're not helping Bofur."
- Air, I-I-I need air.
- Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash.
"Shut up Bofur!"
Bilbo breathes heavily. Then he just stops and says.
- Hmmm. Nope.
And falls down on the floor.
- Ah, very helpful, Bofur.
Gandalf says, and I can't help to laugh quietly for myself. Kili look at me then he starts laughing to.
We stop laughing when we see Thorin's face. If looks could kill, he would have killed us right there and then.
No one has got the sense to help Bilbo up from the floor, so I stand up and walk to him (it took a while to get past some of the Dwarves). When I get to him, he's on his way to wake up. I help Bilbo up and ask him where his bedroom is, and he points to one of the rooms, I lead him there and set him down on a chair near the fireplace. Dori comes in after us with a mug and gives it to Bilbo. Bilbo smile and takes the mug. Then Gandalf comes in and I walk away so they can talk alone.
Kili walks up to me and take me by the arm so I have to follow him even if I don't want to. He drags me back to the dining table where Fili still am. Bombur is there to as well as Oin.
- Something you wanted brother?
- Yes, what exactly happened in Ered Luin?
Fili asks.
I sigh and sits down on a chair to tell them the long story on what happened in Ered Luin. But just as I am starts to tell I see Bilbo walk past and I forget what I was on the way to say. Then Thorin comes in and tells us that we should follow him to the living room. There are the rest of them, smoking their pipes. All of them are humming and I smile when I realize what song they are humming on and starts to hum to. Then Thorin starts to sing.
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
Then the rest of us join him.
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.