Thorin was still standing from when he had shouted to calm the chaos in the small house. Glancing over his shoulder at the hobbit, he then looked to the wizard for an answer to his next question. "Who knows of our gathering?" His tone was icy cold as his blue eyes glared at the wizard. However, Gandalf did not answer and instead took another long drag from his pipe to calm his nerves.

The bell rang a second and third time.

"I-It could just be someone inquiring about the ruckus coming from my home..." Bilbo tried to draw everyone's attention away from poor Gandalf. He was just an old man after all though in the future, the halfling would find that he had underestimated the wandering wizard.

"I'm afraid that is exactly the opposite of the case, my good fellow!" Gandalf quipped as they all sat in silence once again.

Lightening flashed and thunder rolled loudly across the sky. It also wasn't until this time that there came a harsh BANG, BANG, BANG from the front door, causing most of the dwarves to jump. They had just finished talking about Smaug the Terrible after all and therefore were a bit jumpy with the thoughts of the dragon running rampant in their mind.

Gandalf could only chuckle to himself as he rose from his chair. After that small incident, he knew exactly who was at the door. Always had been a bit testy.

"What do you mean?" Bilbo asked as the wizard rose from his place to go to the foyer of the hobbit hole.

"I do believe that Ren has finally arrived!" He exclaimed as he ducked under the threshold of the dinning room entrance, the dwarves quickly rising themselves and following in his wake. Kili began to shove his brother in the back, trying to get towards the front of the group so he could see exactly what they were talking about.

"Ren?" Thorin inquired, having caught that small detail in the wizard's statement. It sounded as though Gandalf was bringing a Ranger into the group. Only one of the wild men from the North would have a name as such. "You never told me about this... Ren." Thorin spat the name, not knowing if he should really trust the new arrival. His sharp eyes were narrowed as he waited for an answer, his face illuminated by the flash of lightning that came through the windows.

The only people who were supposed to know about their quest to Erebor were twelve of his most trusted friends and relatives, one hobbit, and a wizard. Not some forsaken Ranger.

"Indeed. But I believe that you will be a surprised! For you will never come across another like her..." They all stood before the door know, most of the Company members anxious to see who awaited them on the other side of the door. Others were not so anxious.

Gandalf was pleasantly surprised when none of the dwarves had caught his little slip up in the last sentence. If they had caught it, then the door would most certainly not be allowed to open.

Bilbo came stumbling into the room, having to elbow his way through the sea of dwarves since he had been at the back of the gathered crowd. Straightening out his shirt and suspenders, he took a deep breath before he even ran a hand through his mess of curls, wanting to look a little more collected and a lot less frazzled.

Taking a deep breath, Bilbo drew the door back after turning the knob and about flinched, for fear still filled his stomach from the tale of Smaug. However, the hobbit would later scold himself.

Why would he have ever been afraid of someone like Ren?

For when he drew back the door, he found that their was most definitely someone at the door. The figure before him had his back to the hobbit, his hood pulled up over his head so that he could take cover from the heavy rain that continued to fall from the heavens. The sky had long ago grown dark and the rain dripped from the figure's dark green cloak, leaving it saturated and heavy with the added water. The cloaked man seemed to be watching the night for any sign of movement and upon hearing the door open, the 'Ren' character turned and Bilbo was a bit surprised to see slight annoyance on the person's face, though in that moment, their facial expression was overlooked due to other reasons.

All who had watched the events unfold felt their mouths fall wide open in utter shock. Never would they have thought Gandalf would have invited a woman into their company.

"Gandalf." She peered right passed the hobbit and up to the towering form of the tall man behind him. A large and wonderful smile lit her face then, causing all the younger dwarves in the room to swallow nervously and they felt distracting flutters in their stomachs. The wizard's lips twitched up into a smile at how familiar the greeting had sounded, seeing how he only received the same one not yet an hour ago from the dwarven leader of their group.

"I was right. I knew it was going to rain later..." Bilbo heard Balin mumble to his brother who snorted quietly but nonetheless fell silent, no doubt brooding about the new arrival. The woman took a few steps up towards the door and Bilbo realized that she had been leaving down his stone lane when he had answered the door.

"You're late!" The wizard scolded her slightly and she shook her head with a bemused expression on her face, water drops spraying out from her hood as she did so.

The first thing Bilbo had come to notice was that she was rather tall and had to bend down to look inside his home. For unlike his other visitors, she was not of the dwarvish kind, so it seemed.

"It is not my fault. You were lucky that I did not lose my way entirely." She quipped, an amused expression now lifting Gandalf's face. Finding Thorin in the crowd, he shared a knowing look with the dark haired dwarf which was instead rather dark with anger on the dwarf's end. He was not pleased with this new discovery and would no doubt want a word with the wizard later.

It was then at this time that her striking blue eyes found little Bilbo and her lips quirked momentarily as she gazed at him.

"Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, I presume?" He slowly nodded his head, his mane of curls bouncing slightly in the wind that came in through the doorway. Rain splattered his face from outdoors but he did not flinch and he did not move. He was too stunned to move. She smiled brightly then, evidently happy with his answer. "Wonderful then. That situation would have taken an awkward turn upon finding a beardless dwarf instead of my hobbit host!"

She was a rather cheery thing as well, he noticed.

"Um... W-Would you like to come in?" Bilbo squeaked as his eyes took in her heavily clothed form. Now that he really looked at her, she was rather young and didn't appear as old as she had appeared the first time he saw her though she was no doubt a woman.

"No." She told him, her expression dropping into one filled with blankness. "I would actually like to remain outside in the freezing rain. I haven't ridden far at all and I haven't slept on the hard, unforgiving ground for the past week on my journey here. I really have no need to enter into your home for I will once again slept on the cold, wet ground another night." Her tone was calm as she spoke and as she did so, Bilbo honestly didn't know if she was pulling his leg or not. Her expression gave away no emotions.

But as he gazed at her soft features up close, her words instead fell deaf upon his ears.

She was rather pretty despite the fact that most of her skin was covered in mud, once again backing that she had ridden hard in the previous week. She must have indeed traveled a fair distance in a short amount of time, evidently not having time to stop and wash her face before she was presented before her host and the Company.

Bilbo, at one point, believed that the woman before him was an elf because of her beauty. But as he looked at her now, he realized that an elf would never allow herself to be covered in mud as such even if she was to be late to a gathering of normally filthy dwarves.

"Now, now, Ren! No need to torment the hobbit! He has had enough excitement on this night to last him a lifetime!" The wizard pulled the hobbit back so the woman could come inside. Bilbo's cheeks blazed red with embarrassment as he continued to look at her.

She bent down once again to step inside the quaint little hole, her height being the cause of her problem. However, she stopped mid-step when she saw that thirteen pairs of eyes were trained on her. She merely smiled slightly and continued to step inside until she was able to stand up fully, her hooded head just bumping the chandelier above her, for she was just that much to tall. Ducking out of the way, her hands came from deep within her cloak to still the swinging object.

Gandalf closed the door behind her and she soon pushed her hood down before shaking out her dampened hair, the hood having long ago become too saturated to keep the water out. It fell in golden waves down only just to the center of her chest.

It was also at this time that Kili had finally made it into the room, seeing how his brother's large head and rather wide body was in the way. He stumbled his way to the front and the dark haired dwarf could only stop and stare as his mouth fell open.

Immediately, he turned to his brother and whispered, "Can I marry her?" so that only the two of them could hear. Fili dealt a swift punch to his brother's shoulder before their uncle cast them a warning glance after Kili made a small sound of pain. The young dwarf rubbed his sore shoulder, shooting a hurt look at Fili.

Kili didn't understand why he was punched. It was honestly the truth. She was lovely with the water running down her hair, the droplets illuminated by the flickering flames in the chandelier above her.

"Good evening." She told the wizard once again, actually giving him a proper greeting since their reunion. Gandalf's lips twitched up at her remark.

"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good evening or mean that it is a good evening whether I want it or not? Or that you feel good this evening? Or that it is a evening to be good on?" He questioned her just as he questioned the hobbit that very morning, using the same questions.

Looking up to the woman's face, he saw her nose wrinkle up for a moment as she contemplated his words. Swallowing the troublesome butterflies in his stomach caused by the very same woman, Bilbo then decided to be a helpful host and leaned towards her. "I think it's a trick question..." He whispered and her lips quirked up upon hearing his words.

Her head nodded slightly before she straightened her back and looked the wizard directly in the eye, accepting his challenge.

"Well... I guess that it just depends on how you are feeling yourself. You may certainly have a good evening but that does not necessarily mean that this particular evening will be good. Also, it would depend on my mood as well for I have yet to see if I indeed feel good on this evening. And due to the future events I would certainly hope that this evening is one to be good on!"

Bilbo felt his jaw go slack this time at her windy response to the wizard.

Looking back to the dwarves, he also saw that some of their mouths hung open, most of them not even catching all the wizard's first questions, let alone Ren's responses. Then, looking to Gandalf, he saw a sense of pride enter his pale gray eyes and a smile formed on his face.

"My child, you never change." He chuckled as she stepped forward to tightly embrace the wizard. Her laughter was soothing and warm as well, which extinguished any doubt Bilbo had about the unknown kindness of the woman before him. And if Gandalf was so happy to see his friend, that must have meant that she was a good person and would be a good edition to their weird, little party.

"It has been too long, Gandalf." She smiled as she stepped back from the wizard and he held her at arms length before shaking his head as if not believing something. Unbuckling the intricate silver clasp from around her neck, she was surprised when a pair of hands took the heavy, wet cloak right from her shoulders.

Turning around, she was surprised to find that a young dwarf had stepped up to help her. He was rather short, as all dwarves were, and his hair was as dark as the night sky outside. Folding her dark green cloak over his arm, he bowed his head and responded, "Kili, at your service, my lady."

His response was rather sheepish and unlike the dwarf's usual self.

It was now Fili's turn for his mouth to fall open in shock. He hadn't even known his brother had left his side until he appeared behind the taller woman.

Thorin was angry yet at the same time proud of his nephew, showing that he actually recalled the manners Thorin had taught him all those years ago. Yet he did not like the idea of a woman in his Company.

"Thank you, Kili." He continued to hold onto her fine cloak, a slight blush on his stubble covered cheeks. He liked the way she said his name. She also pulled a satchel from across her chest and placed it on a chair off to the side of the foyer.

Straightening out her long, deep red tunic, she also adjusted the black leather jerkin covering it before she looked down at her fine leather boots to check for mud. There was the other oddity that made the dwarves whisper among themselves. She was wearing breeches instead of a skirt.

"Ren." Gandalf stepped forward towards the girl and pulled her attention away from her rumpled clothing. Placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder, he pulled the dwarf into view. He had been brooding in the shadows the entire time, for he was suspicious of the strange woman. He had not agreed to let someone such as herself into the Company.

From the soft look about her, Thorin knew that she would most likely be more of a hindrance then a help on their way to Erebor. She was someone who had lived a soft and cushioned life and would therefore slow down the group on their way to the mountain.

"I would like for you to meet Thorin Oakenshield and his fine Company." He motioned around the room and finally to the dark haired dwarf before him. She only smiled and looked around the room, her eyes flickering between all their faces. Most of the dwarves were either scowling at her or were still gazing at her with bewilderment. "This is Ren, one of my oldest and loyalist of friends." The wizard introduced them with a smile, his eyes lingering longer on the dwarf lord than on his female companion. "We have partaken on many adventures together!"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Oakenshield." She bowed deeply to the kingly dwarf before her, doing a sort of half bow, half curtsy.

The dwarf, though, was not so impressed.

"I wish I could say the same..." Thorin grumbled before looking away from her and up at Gandalf. "We already have our fourteenth member." He glanced at the hobbit who had moved to stand more behind the wizard as if hiding.

"Indeed... but she won't necessarily have to belong to the company. For you see, she is only here for my well being and on my request alone." Gandalf did not know how she would react to Thorin's harsh words. Knowing Ren, her temper would likely get the best of her but as he looked at her, he only saw the passive look on her face as she listened to their exchange.

However, she was clearly not enjoying being ignored when she was standing right before the two men who were conversing.

"What skill does she possess that we do not already have?"

"If I am not mistaken, I do believe you are in great need for more then one experienced healer, yes?" The king was silent for a moment because it was true. Oin was their lone healer and with a troop of sixteen members, it would be hard for one person to take care of them all should they have any bloody run-ins with Orcs. "You know I will not be with you the entire journey and what if someone were to become gravely injured? What would you do?"

The dwarf lord could feel his patience wearing thin and his pale blue eyes flickered over to the woman who stood at the wizard's side, looking less than pleased that she was still being ignored.

"We will discuss this later. We have more important issues to attend to first." Thorin growled as he made his way back to the dining room. The dwarves soon began to follow behind him and Gandalf stayed a moment to talk with the blonde girl.

"Bilbo, my fellow, if you would...?" Gandalf inclined his head and the hobbit could only nod before leaving the room. However, from his place outside the dinning room, he could hear them speaking to one another in hushed voices. With his sharp ears, the hobbit was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

"I did as you asked." The woman was the first to speak and the hobbit could tell that she was agitated just by her tone. He also heard the shuffling of clothing and guessed that she had crossed her arms over her chest.

"Did you then?" The wizard replied and it was quiet for a moment before she huffed in exasperation.

There was a din of just quiet murmuring for a moment before the hobbit was able to make out, "No weapons... I have one knife!"

"Where?"

"My boot." She grumbled. "... completely undefended..." Gandalf then let out a quiet yet agitated grumble.

"... Trust issues... simply hobbits! They are kind folk." Again, their was a quiet discussion between the two of them as they spoke and Bilbo was having problems discerning their words. However, he was able to catch one, certain word.

"... DWARVES!" Bilbo listened to the two converse and his eyes narrowed slightly. Who was this woman and why was she suddenly so hostile when it came to speaking about the dwarves? "His ego is bigger than Erebor itself."

At hearing that, the halfling had to place a hand over his mouth to keep himself quiet. However, he could only guess that she was talking about the leader of their group... what was his name? Thorin, was that right?

Leaving the two of them to finish their discussion, he decided to head back to check on the kitchen.

Pulling up another chair, the dwarves placed it at the other end of the table where there was more space. Bombur also retrieved a warm bowl of soup out for the lovely lady and had it passed down the table until it rested in the empty place directly across from Thorin who reclaimed his seat at the opposing end of the table.

A moment later, the voices from the hall seemed to halt and Lady Ren came into the room from the door at the other end of the hall.

"We made a spot for you here!" Kili patted the table where she was to sit. She stopped short, seeing the room full of dwarves seated and waiting for her. Her blue eyes cast themselves around the room before she walked towards the chair offered to her.

Kili moved to pull back her chair for her but was forced back down into his seat as his brother scrambled towards her instead. Ren was a bit surprised as the single blonde dwarf in the company appeared by her side and pulled her chair out for her. What a gentlemen. She hadn't had someone pull out a chair for her in ages.

Slowly sitting down, he helped her to scoot in before leaning down so that his lips were level with her ear.

"Fili, at your service, my lady." His warm breath brushed the hair over her ear and her lips turned up slightly. He moved back to his seat where his brother sat waiting to kick him under the table. For as the dwarves simply sat there and watched her, taking in her person, they realized that she had washed up in the hobbit's bathroom and the flecks of mud and grime were gone from her face.

As he gazed at her with his scrutinizing eyes, Thorin then leaned over and whispered something to Dwalin that went unheard by the woman and the rest of the group. Both dwarves just chuckled before the large warrior rose from his place and went into the pantry, patting his old friend on the shoulder as he went.

He returned only a minute later with a mug in his hand that was filled to the brim with foaming ale.

As she spooned some of the stew into her mouth, she glanced up to find the flagon of ale placed before her. She continued to chew the food in her mouth before her eyes left the mug to find Thorin's smug face across the table.

They were offering up a silent challenge.

A challenge for her, a woman of apparently decent stature, to take a drink of the vile amber liquid before her and lower herself to their level. Her eye brow twitched with amusement before she picked up the mug and swirled the liquid around inside, a smirk pulling back the corners of her mouth.

"It has been a long journey..." She murmured before she shrugged her shoulders and threw her head back, much to the dwarves' surprise. Kili and Fili watched with amazement as not a single drop of the ale spilled down her chin. She did not take a breath, she did not sputter. She could drink like a man... better than some even!

As she finished her drink, she flipped the empty mug upside down before calmly placing it on the table, folding her hands together on the tabletop before her, the smirk still in place.

Looking back to Thorin, she suddenly kicked her chair back from the table, grabbed her bowl of stew, and placed her booted feet upon the tabletop, crossing one over the other. Gandalf only chuckled to himself, the true Ren creeping out from the emotional wall that she had built around herself whenever she met strangers.

"So, what exactly are all your names?" She asked suddenly as she swallowed another spoonful of stew, using her spoon to gesture to the members at the table. All the dwarves turned to look at her.

"Ah, yes! Introductions would probably be useful!" Gandalf clapped his hands together as he prepared himself. "Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Gloin, Balin, Bofur, Thorin, Dwalin, Bifur, Oin, and you already know Fili and Kili..." Her eyes took in every dwarves' face as Gandalf said their name, trying to commit them to memory. He had named every dwarf in the order around which they sat around the table, making things easier for her

"I think I have it..." She took a deep breath and held out her hand to point at each dwarf, starting at the chunky one beside her. "Bombur, Ori, Dori, Nori, Gloin, Balin, Bofur, Thorin, Dwalin, Bifur, Oin, Fili and Kili!" She also had been counting them off on her fingers. "Thirteen? Correct? Thirteen dwarves?" She looked to Gandalf who nodded his head, slightly impressed.

Once again, they were all stunned into silence.

"That was brilliant!" Bilbo muttered from where he was standing in the hall between his pantry and the dinning room, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Twas rather amazing wasn't it? But we must get back to the issue at hand..." Balin began and Ren's ears perked up as she continued to stir the bowl of stew, her appetite suddenly diminishing. Issue?

"Indeed... If we have read these signs, do you not think others would have read them, too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years-"

"Smaug indeed has not been seen for sixty years," All eyes looked to Ren as she spoke, effectively cutting off Thorin whose eyes flashed dangerously, "Why is the accursed dragon of such interest to you?" She leaned forward in her chair and rested her lips upon her intertwined fingers. The bowl sat forgotten on the table.

"The dragon is of no interest to us, he is simply a danger that is standing in our way..." Balin explained, seeing how Thorin would most likely not answer since his eyes were narrowed on the girl. She simply nodded and inclined her head for Thorin to continue. And he did.

"Eyes look east to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk... Perhaps the vast wealth of our people lies unprotected. Do we sit back and let others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor!" During his whole speech, Thorin had risen from his chair and was standing once again.

A round of cheers erupted around the room from the dwarves and another mug of ale was pushed into Ren's hands. Raising it up, she toasted with a slight smile to the young dwarves who had supplied her before dumping it back again without another thought, seeing the celebration of the others around her.

"You forget that the front gate is sealed! There is no way into the mountain..." Balin said and Thorin dropped wearily back onto his rear.

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true!" Gandalf held his hand out and they all watched with fascination as a key suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Ren only sat back still, not fazed by the wizard's tricks. After years of knowing Mithrandir, his wondrous displays were hardly distracting. She had nearly seen them all.

"How came you by this?" Thorin asked, his voice full of wonder as he looked at the wrought iron key.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safe keeping." The wizard carefully handed the odd looking key to the rightful King Under the Mountain. All the dwarves watched as Thorin carefully brought the key into his thick dwarvish fingers and examined it, a look of wonder still lingering upon his features. "It is yours now."

"If there is a key... then there must be a door!" Fili exclaimed. Ren had to keep the snort from exiting her nose as she turned her eyes to the dwarf at her side.

"These ruins speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls..." Gandalf pointed to the map once more. Ren now noticed the piece of warn parchment that lay before both the wizard and Oakenshield.

"There's another way in!" Kili said from beside his brother, a giddy grin pulling back his lips at the prospect that they actually had a chance to reclaim the mountain.

Sighing, the woman rubbed a hand over her face. Before this journey would be over, her years of practicing patience would dwindle rather quickly with the dwarves continuously stating the obvious.

"Well, if we can find it but dwarf doors are invisible when closed! The answer lies somewhere hidden in this map and I do not have the skill to find it but there are others in Middle Earth who can..." Thorin sent a dark look Gandalf's way, knowing exactly who they were talking about. Ren could only glance up at the mention of the dwarves' enemy before filling her mouth with more stew to keep herself silent.

It was quiet in the room for a moment, the Company members lost in their own thoughts.

"So..." All eyes were drawn to her once again as she spoke up. "You mean to venture to Erebor?" She simply sat back in her chair, her cool blue eyes lay calculating the dwarf lord's every move. She had been unsuccessful in trying to quiet herself. That had always been a problem for her.

"Aye. Under the mountain? Passed the forests of Mirkwood? Just below lay the small down of Dale? The Lon-" Bofur began to explain, only for him to be cut off.

"Yes, yes! The Lonely Mountain! The once greatest Dwarf kingdom in all Middle Earth!" Her eyebrows drew together in a frown of annoyance and she pursed her lips. "I'm not daft!"

"You know of our home?" Dwalin asked as he leaned more towards her.

She only nodded her head before she responded with, "My eyes have long ago gazed up on the solitary peak just beyond the dark forest..."

"And what was a girl like you doing near it? Surely a place as such would be much to dangerous for a maiden such as yourself to venture there..." Thorin asked her with a hint of condescension in his tone.

Gandalf watched as she bristled with annoyance at his words. To be called a girl to her face was almost an insult. She was furthest from a child despite the fact that she acted as one at times.

"I was on business." She replied cooly, never skipping a beat despite that she wanted to make a rude retort to the dwarf lord. The rest of the group began to fidget as the two pairs of eyes locked in a heated glare, neither one of them blinking. Neither backing down from each other.

Bilbo swallowed nervously as the tension in the air thickened.

"And... what business is that?" The kingly dwarf asked her slowly and Fili only exchanged a look with Kili, knowing that it was the same tone of voice he used when he was about to shout at his nephews.

"That is my business to know and for you to leave alone." There was an unexpected bite in her tone that encouraged the dwarf's eyebrows to incline slightly. The troop members held their breaths.

No one talked to Thorin in that tone of voice. Ever.

He leaned forward so that his hands were resting on wooden table before him. The air was tense for another few moments before it was Thorin whose voice broke the silence.

"Ax or sword?" She inclined her own eyebrow in question, silently gesturing for him to further clarify. "Which do you prefer?" Understanding then passed over her face and a slight smirk twitched up at the corners of her mouth before she answered.

"Bow." She replied simply, her arms crossing over her chest as she titled her chair back so that it was balanced on its two hind legs. Kili immediately elbowed his brother in the side, the latter of the which getting the wind knocked from the lungs at the solid blow. Kili wasn't the only to use a bow in the Company anymore or so it seemed. Grumbling to himself, Fili sent his younger brother a sharp look. Kili did not see it however as his eyes were trained on her relaxed form. "But I know my way around a number of weapons well enough also..."

Thorin seemed surprised at her answer, seeing the younger woman as the type to be of more gentle nature. Surely she would not be able to wield a weapon. Yet, considering her confident attitude and smirks, the young woman had apparently seen enough to know how to handle herself in a time of need though he still doubted her words.

Gandalf only smiled to himself before changing the subject, "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 said from down the table who was seated on the other side of Bombur who was seated beside Ren.

"Hm! And a good one too! An expert!" Bilbo chimed from the hallway. Ren's eyes immediately found the hobbit who had been listening intently the entire time. She could almost hear his thoughts in her own head.

Dragon? Erebor? Wealth?

"And are you?" She asked, her lips turninh upwards slightly, already knowing the answer to her own question. The bowl was back on the table and she was leaning forward as she spoke to the small creature, her eyes shinning mirthfully.

"Am I what?"

"A burglar!" Ren exclaimed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose between her fingers. Yes, her patience would wear thin very quickly.

"He said he's an expert!" Oin laughed with glee also looking to the woman who slowly smiled in confirmation.

"M-Me?! No! I'm not a burglar! I've never stolen a thing in my life!" He directed his answer more towards the woman watching him silently. He noticed a small shift in her demeanor before she leaned back once again.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins, he's hardly burglar material..." Balin began, only for his brother to finish with, "Aye. The Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves..." The other dwarves soon began to say their agreement in the matter, Bilbo also nodding and agreeing with the dwarves.

He didn't want to go on an adventure. He wanted to simply stay in his cozy hobbit hole and curl up with a warm cup of tea and a good book.

Ren merely sat back and watched the dwarves argue with one another, deciding not to break into their conversation. Exchanging a look with Gandalf, she simply sighed and shut her eyes, letting the roar around her dull into one persistently annoying hum.

"Enough! If I say that Bilbo Baggins is a burglar than a burglar he is!" Gandalf rose up from his chair, the candles in the room growing dim from the power that radiated outward from him. All the dwarves grew silent once more and Ren simply bit her lip. Angering Gandalf was never a good idea. "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 a hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage!" The wizard sat down and looked to Thorin. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mr. Baggins! There is a lot more to him than appearances suggest and he has a lot more to offer than any of you know... Including himself..." Biblo let his face take on a grateful look at the kind words of the wizard.

"You must trust me on this." Gandalf told Thorin before the wizard's eyes drifted to the maiden seated at the other end of the table. Receiving the silent message from Gandalf, Thorin waged a battle in his mind.

"Yet you have supplied us with fifteen members..." He grumbled, his blue eyes harshly settling back on the wizard. Sensing that she was of importance in this conversation again, Ren opened her eyes and looked up.

"I promise you that she will be of assistance in more ways than one!" Gandalf said as he looked back at her. Her face was set in a slight frown yet her sharp blue eyes held a certain mirth in them. Thorin then turned his eyes down to the girl at the other end of the table. Seeing the guarded yet determined look in her eyes, he could only sigh deeply before looking at his hands.

"Very well. I will give her a chance to prove herself useful and we will do this your way... Give them a contract!" Both of the added members of the Company began to protest but were cut off by Balin.

"Just the usual! Summary of out of pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements and so forth..." The short dwarf handed the papers to Thorin who slapped them against Bilbo's chest. "Sorry, lass. You'll just have to share with Mr. Baggins!"

"No. That is quite alright..." Everyone in the room grew silent at her words. "Since I will not be part of the company and therefore do not require any sort of pay when we do reach Erebor, I will not require a contract..."

"But what if something happens to you?" Bofur said from his place between Balin and Thorin. She shifted her cool gaze to the dwarf with the silly hat and paused for a moment.

"Then something happens to me. Everyone has their time and if mine so happens to occur on this journey, then so be it. It's not as if anyone is going to be missing me..." Ren suddenly growled, causing the entire company's eyebrows to furrow together on their faces.

"You mean you don't have a family? A young lass like you!? I bet you have all the lads chasin' after ya, wanting to start havin' little blonde babes with you as their lovely mother!" She was silent as she sat in her place, Bofur's face falling slightly from her dampening of the mood. "Not even... a Ma or a Pa?" He asked quietly. Her eyes flashed up to the dwarf then, anger easily visible in their depths.

"They could care less about me." Her voice quaked with bitter yet evident emotions.

"Ren, you know that is not true! Your family loves you very much!" Gandalf rose from his place once more, his dark aura casting over the room once again. The girl shrank back in her chair slightly from Mithrandir scolding her.

"I find that very hard to believe..." She snapped, her teeth catching her lip between then to keep her lip from quivering in visible rage. Standing up to leave, she felt the room beginning to grow to small. Turning her back, her golden hair spun around her.

"Ren!" The wizard called after her. All the dwarves watched in silence as her form retreated back into the dark hallway of the hobbit's home. The mood from before was greatly dampened and all were silent once again.

"D-Did you say funeral arrangements?" Bilbo quietly opened the contract and began to read down the long list of agreements. Seeing how the hobbit was now preoccupied, Thorin leaned over to Gandalf.

"I cannot guarantee his safety... Or the girl's for that matter..."

"She will not need your protection..." Gandalf replied after a moment, his mind wandering back to the girl who had fled from the room so suddenly. He may have prodded at her to early in their quest. He should have saved her family issues for later. "You will come to see it with time."

Glancing down the table, Gandalf noted that the two Durin heirs were looking down the hall were she had disappeared to.

"Nor will I be responsible for either of their fates..." The leader of the company continued. Gandalf paused in his mind's wandering for a moment to look at the dwarf lord.

"Agreed."

"Cash on delivery up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of the profit if any... That seems fair. Thorin and Company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained upon thereof but not limited to... lacerations... evisceration? Incineration?!" The hobbit squeaked as he read from the made up contract.

"Oh, aye!" Bofur chimed, "Melt the flesh right off your bones in the blink of an eye!" It was now at this time that Bilbo began to feel lightheaded. He let out a deep breath and it was easily visible to see him shaking.

"You alright, laddie?" Bilbo bent over and began to breath deeply, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"I feel a bit faint!" He said as he straightened up once he had regained a bit of air. His hands gripped the parchment tightly and he looked down at it for a moment, deciding what to do.

"Think furnace... with wings!" Bofur continued, only adding to the ball of nerves that already churned in Bilbo's stomach. "Flash of light, searing pain then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" Bilbo continued to teeter for a moment, the terrible thoughts of himself bursting into flames coursing through his mind. For a moment it felt that the world had stopped spinning and the hobbit was able to straighten up to his full height.

Never mind.

"Nope!" He said simply before collapsing to the ground. It was now at this time that the girl had entered that hallway when she saw the curly haired hobbit collapse right before her. She calmly chewed the wonderful cinnamon pastry that was held in her hand, her blue eyes calmly taking in his collapsed form. She had found the food hidden underneath the sink in the kitchen, almost as if someone were trying to save it for later or rather hide it from the dwarves. An odd little hobbit, Master Bilbo was.

Thorin looked up at her face as she calmly gazed down at the hobbit. The angry emotions that had previously been on her face were now gone and were replaced with a blank look.

Gently nudging the hobbit's side with her fine leather boot, the unconscious figure did not even move as she prodded his side. Popping the rest of the new pastry into her mouth, she chewed momentarily before saying, "Normally, they say the bigger you are, the harder you fall. But, I think that fact was not entirely true in this predicament..." She stated, recalling the resonating thud that the hobbit's body had caused.

Bending down at his side, she pried open one of his eyelids and found that it had rolled into the back of his head. With a small snort of amusement, she raised her head up and looked at the dwarf who had been the one to scare the halfling.

"Well done, Master Bofur." She told him, her eyes shinning with mirth. He only tipped his hat at her, a tight lipped smile upon his face.

This earned a quiet chuckle from the dwarves while she just gazed down at the unconscious hobbit with a quizzical look on her face, knowing that she undoubtedly had something in her bag to help him.

This would most certainly be a long journey indeed.