Azriela smiled, lowering her book, "Did you want something?"
A tall male emerged from the shadows, "You knew I was here."
She closed her book, "Believe it or not I heard your breathing." He moved to sit close to her, almost behind her.
"What is it you are reading?" His breath tickled the hair on the back of her neck.
"A book," she replied, coyly.
He pressed his nose to her neck and inhaled her scent. She smelled like old books and sunlight; it was an odd, but appealing fragrance that suited her nicely as she had spent so much time in the library as of late. "Must be a very interesting book for you to be avoiding me…"
She tried to ignore his lips that were now placing small kisses at the base of her neck and said, "I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been…" she let out a small gasp as she could no longer ignore the pair of lips that were caressing her neck in such a way that it was becoming increasingly difficult to think. "Y-you need to stop..."
"Now why is that?" he asked, not stopping, but speaking in-between light kisses.
She then said a little sterner, "Stop."
"Aza," he suddenly snapped out of his ardent caresses and became more serious.
Aza moved to face him, "We need to talk."
"Gandalf. 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 that mark on the door." In walked the last of the company. He was tall, for a dwarf, and dark haired.
Aza sipped her mug quietly as he entered, but still stared at him from over the top of the liquid.
Bilbo stepped forward at the mention of his ruined door, "Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago."
"There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf introduced the dwarf.
"So, this is the Hobbit." Thorin turned to appraise the Hobbit, "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" He then began to circle Bilbo, sizing him up.
"Pardon me?"
"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"
"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know-."
Aza choked on her beverage and required a few slaps to the back before she could breathe again.
"-but I fail to see why that's relevant."
"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar," Thorin dismissed him.
Everyone laughed except for Aza. Instead she set down her mug on the table and smoothed out a few wrinkles in her old brown robe.
"And who is this?" Thorin paused in front of Aza. The young apprentice looked up from her knees into the eyes of the intimidating dwarf. "Who invited you?"
"That would be me," Gandalf interrupted, stepping to Aza's side. "Thorin Oakenshield, my apprentice Azriela. Azriela, Thorin Oakenshield."
Aza stood and gave a small bow to him, "Pleasure to meet you."
Thorin appraised her then looked to Gandalf, "She is a wizard?"
Gandalf gave a great nod, "She has come along quite well from when she was found."
"I promise," Aza cut in, "not to be a burden."
He nodded, as if to say, "See that you don't." And he moved to the table to eat what was left of the food.
They settled themselves at the table, Aza ending up at Kili and Fili's sides. She smiled, watched, and listened, still quite oblivious to some eyes that rested on her. She was, after all, the only woman among them and a pretty one at that.
"What news from the meeting at Ered Luin?" Balin asked, "Did they all come?"
"Aye. Envoys of all seven kingdoms," Thorin replied.
The dwarves made a collective sound of happiness, though it was quite subdued.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dalwin, "Is Dain with us?"
Everyone waited for a response.
"They will not come. They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."
A noise of disappointment murmured through the room.
Bilbo stepped in, his head near Gandalf, "You're going on a quest?"
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," asked Gandalf. The Hobbit ran off to find the light. Gandlaf turned to his pupil, "Have you the map?" Aza nodded and passed an old bit of parchment down to Gandlaf. The elderly wizard then spread it own on the table. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."
"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo read as he brought the candle back.
Gloin, a rather rotund dwarf with a great red beard, piped up, "Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time."
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," clarified Oin
Upon hearing the word 'beast' Bilbo asked, "What beast?"
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals," said Bofer, pipe in hand.
"Yes, I know what a dragon is."
Ori, another dwarf, stood up, "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarvish iron right up his jacksy."
A few dwarves began to talk and Aza gave a small chuckle.
Ori was quickly pulled down.
Balin managed to break the small noise by saying, "The task will be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen. Not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."
A few dwarves began to complain about the comment. Angry mummers of "who are you calling dim" circulated around the table.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili said, his voice rather loud in Aza's ear.
"And you forget, we have not one, but two wizards in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time," said Kili. "And Lady Aza is an apprentice to him; she must too have great power."
The poor girl had chosen the wrong time to take a sip of her drink. She nearly choked on it.
"Oh, well, now, I wouldn't say-," said Gandalf, trying to avoid the fact that he hadn't actually fought a dragon before.
"How many, then?" -Dori
"I, uh, what?"
"How many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!" the dwarf continued to push. "Lady Aza, how many dragons have you killed?"
Gandalf embarrassedly began to cough on the smoke from his pipe while Aza suddenly became very interested in a decorative plate that hung on the wall. The dwarves jumped to their feet and began to argue over how many dragons the two had killed
Suddenly Thorin jumped up and destroyed the chaos that surrounded them, "Atkât! [Silence] If we have read these signs, do you not think that 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!]
The table erupted into cheers.
"You forget: the front door is sealed," Balin interrupted. "There is no way into the mountain."
"Gandalf," Aza looked to her teacher.
The wizard looked to her in a sense of confusion, "Hmm? Oh right." He turned his head to the dwarf, "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf wiggled his fingers and produced a key from some hidden pocket in his robe.
"How came you by this?" Thorin asked, his eyes never once leaving the key.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Gandalf then handed the key to Thorin.
Fili then spoke what everyone was thinking, "If there is a key, there must be a door."
Gandalf looked to Aza.
"Oh," she stood and made her way over to where Thorin and Gandalf sat. She pointed to the side of the page where an elegantly drawn hand was. "These runes tell of a hidden passage to the lower halls." She smiled and turned to her master, "It took me forever to translate."
"There's another way in!"- Kili.
Aza nodded, "If we can even find it. I did my research, but I couldn't find much on Dwarfish doors," she again looked to her master. "Gandalf?"
He nodded, "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map," he pointed to it with his pipe. "I do not have the skill to find it."
"Me either," Aza sighed.
"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." He looked to Blibo. But, if we are careful and clever," there he looked to his student, "I believe that it can be done."
Ori, just realizing, said, "That's why we need a burglar."
Bilbo nodded, "And a good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine."
"And are you?" – Gloin.
Bilbo looked over his shoulder, thinking that Gloin was addressing someone else. "Am I what?"
Oin, not quite understanding through his listening device, laughed, "He said he's an expert! Hey hey!"
"Me? No, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life," Bilbo explained.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins," said Balin. "He's hardly burglar material."
Bilbo nodded.
Dwalin agreed, "Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." His eyes seemed to glaze over Aza, not sure whether she'd be an asset or a liability on this journey.
The dwarves then began to argue.
Aza sighed, but her soon tired attitude changed to that of fear as she felt darkness reach her senses. She looked over to her master and almost let out a squeak. The wizard who was usually so full of smiles and wisdom had turned dark in appearance. It was rare, but whenever he did it he frightened her.
"Enough!" Aza moved away slightly from him as he stood up, "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." Gandalf relaxed, but didn't sit back down. "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 fourteenth member of this company," he sat down, "and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."
"And her?" Thorin looked to Aza.
Gandalf turned his grey head to the young woman then back to the dark dwarf, "She is my pupil and falls under my responsibility. You are not responsible for what happens to her."
"I'm not going to get myself killed, if that's what you mean," Aza spoke up then turned to Gandalf. "I can defend myself."
Thorin conceded, "Very well. We'll do it your way. Give him the contract."
Balin then handed Bilbo the contract, "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo almost spluttered. As Bilbo stepped back a bit to read the contract Thorin had Gandalf's ear.
"I cannot guarantee his safety."
"Understood."
"Nor will I be responsible for his fate."
"Agreed."
"That sounds ominous," Aza thought, not saying anything. Instead she walked back to her seat next to Kili and Fili.
"'Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any.' Hmm. Seems fair. '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?" Bilbo read out loud. He looked at the company.
"Ai, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in a blink of an eye," said Bofer.
"You alright, lady?" Balin asked.
Bilbo took a few breathes, "I feel a bit faint."
"Think furnace with wings," said Bofer continued.
"Air, I need air."
"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash."
Bilbo breathed heavily, trying to compose himself while everyone stared at him.
"No," he said and fell to the floor in a dead faint.
"You're very helpful, Bofur," Gandalf muttered as he and his student moved to help the Hobbit.
Once he woke up Aza handed him a cup of tea, "Here you go. Don't drink it too quickly, or you'll burn yourself."
"Thank you," Bilbo said politely as he sat in the sitting chair Gandalf and Aza had moved him to.
"You sure you're alright?" Aza asked.
Bilbo nodded, almost blushing at the woman's attention, "I'll be alright, let me just sit quietly for a moment."
"You've been sitting quietly for far too long." Gandalf began as Aza moved away from them. Instead she sat in front of the fireplace, the heat warming her as the flame's light danced across her bright blue eyes.
Balin smiled at her, "You're Gandalf's apprentice."
It took a second before Aza could break her gaze from the fire, "Hmm? Oh yes."
He nodded, smoking on his pipe.
Aza's eyes fell on the piece of wood. "Could I try?"
Balin removed it from his mouth, "This?"
"Yes, Gandalf had never let me try it before. And Lord Saruman told me that the leaf numbs the brain, so I've never tried it."
He nodded.
Aza took the finely crafted pipe from him and took a breath. Instantly her lungs filled with smoke and she coughed.
"There, there. Take a deep breath," Balin said.
"C-can't!" she kept coughing, her eyes watering.
A few dwarves around her chuckled. One said, "Can hold her drink, but not her pipe. What a lass."
Soon her coughs subsided and she breathed normally.
Balin left her to speak with Thorin and Aza's attention was once again caught by the fire. Absentmindedly she fiddled with a strange silver ring on her left hand ring finger. The gem was also strange, it seemed to be a star garnet, but it was solid color like obsidian and dark green.
Soon a smooth, deep melody hit her ears,
"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
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."
