Authors note: I do not own anything from the hobbit or lord of the rings. I am planning to try to stick closely to the book with some bits thrown in so hopefully you'll enjoy it. Also, big thankyou to my beta reader Krystal Lazuli for your input. You're a great help.

Bilbo starred into the now empty pantry. Some of the shelves had shards of glass broken on them and a few crumbs of bread; the only evidence of the cupboard's contents before the dwarves had grabbed hold of every last piece. Somehow in the space of an hour, Bilbo's four guests turned into twelve (not including Gandalf). As if that wasn't enough, he could hear them shouting and merry making at his dining table, small amounts of food being thrown at one another, ale sloshing all over his carpet as the dwarves knocked mugs together before they all gulped down its contents. He had given up attempting to take anything off of the beasts when they found the meats and cheeses. He had never in his life met such ill-mannered and disgusting men as these. It nearly brought him to tears seeing how his mother and father's beautiful home had been disrespected so. "Confound these dwarves!"

"Bilbo, whatever's the matter?" Gandalf ducked under the doorway exiting the kitchen with a concerned expression upon his face for the young hobbit. "All these dwarves! I don't understand what they're doing in my house!" What added insult to injury is that none of them seemed to understand anything as wrong!

"Well I think they're a merry gathering!" Gandalf chuckled, observing as Nori and Bofur began to play 'tug-of-war' with a string or sausages, "once you get used to them".

"I don't want to get used to them!" Bilbo angrily whispered. "Look at my kitchen! There's mud trod in the carpet! Th-th-they've pillaged the pantry! I don't understand what they're doing here!"

Before Gandalf could respond, there was one loud knock on the door, commanding everyone in the house to fall silent. "He's here" Gandalf simply stated with a sombre expression, walking to the green circular door and opening it to reveal the stranger.

He had a long, well groomed black mane brushed back neatly and his beard trimmed but still long. A braid laid either side of his head with an impressive metal bead at the end of both, embellished with beautifully crafted runes.

"Ah, Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find." The man walked in, his strong build and the way he carried himself demanded respect and authority without any words needing to be spoken. He stepped through the door unclasping his long fur-lined cloak. He nodded respectfully to each of the dwarves. "I lost my way, twice. T'would not have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door".

Bilbo's ears pricked at that. Mark on the door? "Mark? There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago!" he cried, pushing through the group to inspect the paint but was stopped by Gandalf shutting the entry.

"There is a mark, I put it there myself" Gandalf explained gently, his eyes sparkling as he offered a small smile to the young hobbit. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Bilbo turned to meet eyes with the most recent member of his guests. 'Thorin' slightly raised his chin and looked down his nose at Bilbo. "So, this is the hobbit," he smiled taking a step closer and staring intently down at Bilbo. It was difficult for Bilbo not to feel intimidated. Thorin began to circle him, "Tell me Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting? Axe or Sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo's head began to swim, becoming very aware of the eyes of thirteen dwarves upon him. "Well I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know," he stated proudly before realising what he said. "But then I fail to see why that's relevant," he sputtered as a blush appeared across his cheeks.

Thorin scoffed. "Thought as much, he looks more like a grocer than a burglar." The other dwarves laughed as Thorin smiled and walked to sit at the had of the dining table, collecting a plate of meat and a flask of ale.

Bilbo, more than a little offended, waited a few minutes before begrudgingly following the group into the dining room.

"-What do the dwarves of the iron hill say? Are they staying with us?" Dwalin asked, sitting next to Thorin, watching as his leader swallowed a mouthful of bread. Thorin's gaze dropped to the table as he put the food down and gazed at his company. "They will not come," he stated neutrally. The room was eerily quiet as the dwarves accepted what Thorin had informed them. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo shrunk slightly under the gazes of the dwarves.

"Bilbo, my good fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf smiled. Bilbo did as he was told and when he returned he found there was a map laid across the table. "Far to the East, through the ranges and the rivers, the old woodlands, the wastelands, lies a single solitude peak."

Bilbo leaned over the table and observed the map, his eyes gazing over the drawing of a dragon flying around the top of a mountain. "The lonely mountain," he muttered.

"Aye! Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time!" A fiery redheaded dwarf detailed. Bilbo thought he'd heard his name was Gloin.

"Ravens have been seen flocking back-"

Before Oin could finish his sentence, the room appeared to flash with a blinding white light before all the candles blew out and a large object fell from the ceiling into the middle of the table, sending ale spilling over the sides.

The Dwarves jumped off their chairs and stood in defensive stances around the table, ready to fight whatever had interrupted their meeting. Bilbo stood in a state of shock as Gandalf used his staff to relight the candles, allowing the company to see clearly who or what had arrived.

~O~

Julia was aware she was had landed hard on her back, the air being knocked harshly from her lungs leaving her winded. She attempted to gasp but couldn't manage to breath in as her eyes attempted to make sense of her surroundings in the dark. She'd never been hit by lightning, but now she could definitely confirm it was not a pleasant experience and she would definitely not recommend it to a friend. Flickers of light emitted around her allowing her to see she was looking up at a rather old fashioned styled ceiling with arched beams holding it up. Strange, she thought. We don't have beams in our house.

A loud harsh sounding voice resonated in a language Julia couldn't place before she realised she was not alone. Twisting her head to the left, her green eyes locked with a large, intimidating man with a bald head and faint tattoos across his scalp. Bolting upright, Julia looked around her noticing other large intimidating men circling her; none of them looked very impressed with her. In a blind panic, Julia kicked herself off of the table between a gap of the men leading down a winding corridor; her action acting as a catalyst for the shouts and throwing of objects of the men. Without looking behind her, Julia dove through various circular doorways revealing furniture, a bedroom and a study. Despite her efforts to run, she could not find a doorway to escape and the threatening group had followed her closely. Her last option was a window above a small blue bed which may just open wide enough for her to squirm out of. As she jumped on the bed and attempted to pull herself to safety, a great, beefy arm encircled her waist and yanked her from her freedom causing a scream to escape her lips.

"Let me go! Let me go! What are you doing!?" Julia attempted to throw her elbow back at her captor's face, but he had quickly immobilised her arms to her side. She swung, hoping to kick something sensitive enough to be dropped but her pursuer was a great deal bigger than her and held her effortlessly off the floor, turning back the way she had run from.

Three men stood inspecting with wide eyes, traveling over her face and body almost in as much shock and confusion as she had felt as she was carried through the archway back to the table. Before Julia had time to make sense of anything, she was roughly dropped to sit on a small wooden chair with her hands held behind her back and face to face with a regal long black haired male glaring at her.

He growled an unintelligible sentence at her with a scowl, giving Julia the impression he was not a patient man. She met his gaze and stared fearfully in his severe expression with an almost awkward silence emanating the room. "… I-I'm sorry, what?" The group of surrounding men appeared shocked and muddled at her answer and whispered other unintelligible sounds before her interrogator silenced them by holding a hand in the air. He did not seem impressed to say the least which added to Julia's anxiety. He appeared to repeat whatever language he was speaking louder and slower, but Julia still did not understand what he was trying to say.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you. I don't know if I've hit my head hard, but I can't understand anything you're trying to tell me," she choked out. This only seemed to make him angrier but before he could produce any sounds from his mouth, a giant, lanky elderly man with a long grey cloak placed his hand on her captor's shoulder. How on earth did he grow that big? Julia's chest felt tight realising she may not be in a very safe position, particularly as she could not speak or understand the language being spoken to her. Her breathing increased to hyperventilating and her eyes began to sting with tears.

~O~

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The young girl shrunk into her seat with eyes as wide as saucepans as she stared back at Thorin. It was not a difficult question, but of course, if she was a spy she would not answer questions freely. After a few moments, the small woman replied barely over the volume of a whisper but nothing he could make sense of.

"Was she speaking in common tongue? I can't make out what she said"

"That was no language I've heard in my life time."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Thorin repeated more aggressively, noting as she shook slightly in her chair. She was either a very good spy and actress or completely dumb to the language he was using. But again she shook and replied in an nonsensical tongue.

"Thorin, do not be so rough to a lady, especially one of your own kin. Do you not see she is one of the dwarrow? She's too small for any human girl I have seen," Gandalf intercepted.

"No female dwarf has ever shaved off her beard or worn clothes in such a fashion as these," Thorin snapped, almost offended that Gandalf had even suggested such a thing.

"Yes, I can see your point and I have noticed the unusual attire." Gandalf towered over the girl and observed the black material over her legs and the strange blue hooded garment she wore. Even her shoes did not seem to match anything they had seen in any part of middle earth.

"Hello little one" Gandalf began, kneeling in front of the young girl, noticing as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Do not be frightened, how have you appeared to us in such a way?" But still the girl showed no signs of understanding what had been said.

"If she refuses to talk, we must treat her as a spy until proven otherwise. How else would she have arrived at such a precise moment when discussing the plan?" Thorin rationalised; the other dwarves nodded in agreement.

"Surely that's a little harsh-" Bilbo began but stopped himself when noticing the glare Thorin aimed at him.

"Dwalin, tie her to the chair. She will remain there until we leave in the morning. She must be kept a close eye on".