I'm sorry to take so long for this chapter; I just had a tragedy, my pet bunny Poppy had died recently this summer, so I was in mourning. :'(
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit characters or plot of the story!
Chapter 4: We need a Burglar.
Everyone gathered around the front door as Gandalf began to open it, Belle and Frodo tried to see who was at the door, but the dwarves were blocking their view, but soon after they heard his voice.
"Gandalf," The stranger greeted Gandalf in a gruff voice. "I thought you said this place will be easy to find." He came into the hallway and greeted his fellow company as they bowed slightly to him.
"He must be a very important person." Belle thought as she observed the dwarves in front of her as they bowed.
"I lost my way… twice." He told Gandalf as he takes off his travel cloak. "I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been that mark on the door."
What he said caught Belle's attention.
"Mark? There's no mark on that door." She claimed as she pushed past the dwarves to get to her door with Frodo at her heels and tried to look at the door for the so-called mark.
"We painted it a week ago." But Gandalf closed the door before Belle could take a proper look.
"There is a mark," Gandalf admitted as he turned from the door to face her. "I put it there myself this morning." Belle looked upon Gandalf with aggravation as she crossed her arms, finally realizing what caused the scratching noise on the door this morning. Frodo went next to Belle to get a closer look at the new dwarf.
"Belle Baggins," Gandalf announced. "Allow me to introduce the leader of the company: Thorin Oakenshield." Belle turned to the latest guest to see him clearly.
This new dwarf was different from the others; he was more of a majestic sort of dwarf. Quite tall and dressed in a deep blue tunic with a belt with a buckle that looks like a diamond symbol and a travel coat trimmed with dark grey fur and on each hand bore silver rings. Long slightly wavy dark brunette hair that reaches his shoulder blades with a few strands of silvery grey hair and a few braids, close-cropped beard and pale blue eyes of a wolf.
"How do you do, Mr Oakenshield," Belle greeted him as she curtsies.
"So…" Thorin said in a deep and baritone voice as he looked upon Belle. "This is the Hobbit."
The sound of his voice sent shivers down Belle's spine; she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by him.
"Gandalf, why didn't you tell me that our burglar would be a woman?" Thorin demanded before spotting the small Black-haired hobbit boy with bright blue eyes next to the lass. "And not to mention she has a son."
"Frodo Baggins is her nephew, Thorin." Gandalf clarified to Thorin. "The reason why I didn't tell you that Hobbit is a woman, is because you would have refused to hire her. Also, I didn't know Frodo was living with her until this morning." Gandalf explained as he looked down at Frodo who was in awe of this warrior-like dwarf. Thorin looked displeased.
"Tell me Miss Baggins?" Thorin questioned as he started to circle around her as he inspects her, inspecting her. She felt as though she was the rabbit being hunted by a wolf. "Have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?" Belle asked not sure if she heard correctly.
"Axe or sword?" He continued, coming round to face her. "What's your weapon of choice?"
"Weapons?" Belle thought with disbelief. "Who does he think I am; a warrior?"
"Well, I do have some skills with my frying pan, if you must know," Belle answered suspiciously, causing some of the dwarves to snigger. "But I fail to see why that's relevant."
"Thought as much," Thorin predicted and turned to his fellow company. "She looks more like a housekeeper than a burglar" Thorin smirked and the dwarves laughed at the remark.
"I BEG YOUR PARDON?!" She exclaimed out loud. "What did just call me?" But Thorin didn't bother to answer her; his company led him towards the dining room, leaving Belle, Frodo and Gandalf in the hallway in silence.
"Such rudeness," Belle thought with infuriation and her arms crossed as watched the company with Mr Pig-headedness. Then she noticed how late it was on the clock on the fireplace.
"Gandalf, I'm just going to put Frodo to bed," Belle informed Gandalf as he was about to join the others. "I'll be right back."
"But I want to stay up, Auntie Belle," Frodo begged, looking up at Belle with pleading eyes.
"No, Frodo," Belle ordered with a gentle tone. "It's late and I'm not sure how long these dwarves will be staying, but we'll find out in the morning. Now come along, Frodo it's time for bed. Say goodnight to Gandalf."
Frodo went up to Gandalf and gave him a goodnight hug and Gandalf headed for the dining room to join the dwarves, while Frodo went with Belle to his room.
Frodo hopped into bed and Belle tuck in the covers around him and sat with him for a while and stroked his soft curled hair.
"I'm going to join our guests," Belle whispered to Frodo. "Now go to sleep, good night, Frodo."
"Good night, Belle," Frodo murmured under the covers as Belle gently kissed his forehead and blew out the candle on the nightstand by his bed, then she stepped out of the room and closing the door lightly behind her.
As soon as he heard the door clicked, Frodo leapt out of bed and headed towards his bedroom door, slowly tiptoeing out of his room and following his aunt behind her in the shadow as she heads to the dining room. He hid outside both the pantry room and dining room and started to listen to the conversation going on in the dining room.
Belle headed back towards the dining room where everyone and Gandalf sat, everything had calmed down now and the table lit by candles and each dwarf including the wizard had a tankard of ale. She just got there when she heard them discussing something.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin?" Balin asked Thorin, sitting at the head of the table eating soup the dwarves managed to save for their leader along with a tankard of ale. "Did they all come?"
"Aye," Thorin answered with satisfaction, "envoys from all seven kingdoms."
The dwarves gave a little cheer of such news.
"And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin asked. "Is Dain with us?"
Thorin gave a long pause; he didn't want to disappoint his company the bad news he got from the Iron Hill dwarves.
"They will not come," Thorin answered with regret. "They said this quest is ours and ours alone," Thorin concluded.
"A Quest?" That word caught Belle attention, remembering the conversation with Gandalf from this morning. "Was this what he meant when he was talking about adventures?"
Even Frodo became more interested when they mentioned quest. He moved a bit closer to the doorway to get a better hearing and made sure he stayed hidden in the shadows.
"You're going on a quest?" Belle asked and all eyes turned to her.
"Belle, my dear, let us have a little more light." Gandalf requested.
Belle immediately went to the pantry to find a candle and a tinderbox to light it. When she came back Gandalf was opening up a piece of parchment paper.
"…Far to the East, over ranges and rivers." Gandalf was remarking he placed the unfolded parchment on the table in front of Thorin. "Beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak." He continued as he pointed the images of the parchment.
Belle leaned forward, looking over Thorin shoulder to see what they're looking at, being careful with the candle trying not to catch Thorin's hair. The parchment was a map, written in westron and in ancient runes and showing a mountain with a drawing of a flying red dragon on top of the peak.
"The Lonely Mountain." She read slowly out loud, Thorin looked over his shoulder to see her and he gently took the candle from her and as he did so, their fingers brushed against each other.
Belle felt the roughness of his callused fingertips brushing against her in a seductive way that she couldn't help but shiver by the contact. It was the same with Thorin; never had he felt such soft skin. But they quickly shook the moment off and pulled away Thorin putting the candle on the table as Belle made her way back into the pantry to put away the tinderbox. Gandalf and Balin witnessed the moment and shared a secret smile as Gandalf lit his pipe by a magic flame from his forefinger, listening to the dwarves discussing the Lonely Mountain.
"Aye, Óin has read the portence and the portence say it is time," Glóin reported.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold." Óin continued what his brother started. All the dwarves gathered round to hear "When the birds of Yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end." Óin recited.
Belle paused in the pantry when she heard the word 'Beast'; she turned to the company in the dining room with a look of anxiety. Frodo perked up, intrigued when he heard the term beast revealed in the conversation.
"Um… What beast?" Belle asked with unease.
"Oh, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible; chiefest and greatest calamity of our age," Bofur explained rather agitatedly as Belle moved closer to the group in dread of what Bofur's revealing. "Air born Fire-breather. Teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks." Bofur continued. "And extremely fond of precious metals..."
"Yes, I know what a dragon is. Mr Bofur!" Belle interrupted quickly to stop him going any further.
"A Dragon?!" Frodo thought with terror and excitement at the same time.
Suddenly Ori stood up. "I'm not afraid, I up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!" He said in confidence and the dwarves cheered for him. "Ori, please, there is a lady present!" Dori scolded at Ori as he pulled him down back to his seat.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin spoke. "But we numbered just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best nor brightest." He critically added.
The dwarves started to argue about Balin remark on them being dim until Fíli spoke out with pride. "We may be few in numbers, but we're fighters. All of us, to the last dwarf!" He invigorated as he slams his hand on the table.
"And you forget we have a wizard in our company." Kíli joined in optimistically. "Gandalf would have killed hundreds of Dragons on his time."
"Oh well I wouldn't say I…,"Gandalf was about to disagree with that statement,
"How many then," Dori asked Gandalf, "how many dragons have you killed?"
All of the dwarves around the table had their eyes set on the wizard, including Belle who was curious too. But Gandalf stayed quiet as he pretended to cough out smoke in awkwardness.
"He hasn't killed a dragon in his life!" Belle thought in dissatisfaction.
"Go on, give us a number!" Dori induced and a loud uproar argument broke out amongst them. Belle tried to force them to be quiet or they would wake Frodo, but they didn't bother listening to her and carried on.
"SILENCE!" Thorin thundered in dwarvish as he stood up. The sudden roar made Belle jump out of her skin with fright, and immediately the others obeyed him and gone quiet.
"If we had read these signs, do you not think others would have read them too?" Thorin declared with resilience. "Rumours have begun to spread, the dragon, Smaug has not been seen for sixty years."
As he continued, such of power and encouragement united into his words to the brave company that decided to join him on this quest.
"Eye look to the East 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?" Thorin confronted his men to decide. "Or we seize this chance to take back Erebor?!"
Dwarves gave a big cheer as Thorin called something in dwarvish making the dwarves cheer more. Belle blinked and glanced at Thorin, moved by his speech. Frodo, who was hidden, was moved as well
"You forget though, the front gate is sealed!" Balin announced. This made the dwarves go quiet again and Thorin sat back down in defeat.
"There's no way into the mountain."
"That my dear Balin is not entirely true," Gandalf confirmed and to everyone's surprise in his hand, he held up a dwarvish iron key.
"How did you come by this?" Thorin asked in a deep gravelly voice with surprised when he recognized the key.
Belle's eyes were fixed on the key, and glancing at him, could tell this a meaningful moment for Thorin.
"It was given to me by your father, By Thrain," Gandalf informed him. "For safekeeping, however, it's yours now." He handed over Thorin the iron key. The company realized at that moment there was still a chance on this quest.
"If there is a key…" Fíli grasped. "Then there must be a door."
Gandalf nodded at him and pointed to the runes on the left side of the map with the pointy end of his pipe. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."
"There's another way in," Kíli said as he grasped his brother's shoulder excitedly.
"If we could find it we could get in, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gandalf informed them and looked down at the map again. "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."
Belle unconsciously crept closer behind Thorin to get a look at the map.
The dwarves looked up at Gandalf with uncertainty; even Thorin raised his eyebrow on where this is leading. "The task I have in mind will require a great deal stealth and no small amount of courage." Gandalf continued as he gave Belle a look which puzzled her. "But if we're careful and clever, I believe it can be done." He confirmed.
"That's why we need a burglar." Ori came to conclusion.
"Hm, and a good one too," Belle agreed while looking at the map, having no idea they meant her. "An expert I'd imagine."
"And are you?" Glóin enquired looking at her.
Belle looked up from the map to see everyone staring at her expectedly; she looked at them in confusion and turned round to see if they meant someone behind her, but saw no one there and went back to them.
"Am I what?" She questioned Glóin.
"She said she's an expert!" Óin chuckled enthusiastically, mishearing her.
Now Belle finally realized what they meant.
"Me?!" Belle cried out in shock. "No, no, no, no, I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life!
"Well, I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Miss Baggins," Balin said looking at her with uncertainty. "She's hardly burglar material."
"Nope," Belle agreed with him.
"Aye," Dwalin nodded. "The wild is no place for a lady or gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves"
Belle, even though was a bit offended by that remark, couldn't disagree with him. Then all of the other had started chatting amongst themselves on whether to she was good enough for this journey.
All of a sudden the dining room was getting darker and Gandalf stood up with his nearly hitting the ceiling.
"ENOUGH!" Gandalf boomed in a deep loud voice that made everyone jump back in fear. Frodo peered from his hiding spot in surprise and shock. "If I say Belle Baggins is a burglar!" Then slowly the darkness was fading and Gandalf voice returned to normal. "And a burglar she is."
Belle was gobsmacked by the announcement from Gandalf.
"Hobbits are remarkable light on their feet; in fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose." Gandalf continued as he informed the company. "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."
Belle grasped on what Gandalf and the dwarves are intended on why they want a burglar on their quest.
Gandalf sat down when he saw the doubt look on Thorin's face. "You have asked me to find the Fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Miss Baggins." Gandalf settled.
Belle could hardly believe what she was hearing and she hopes that Thorin would say no on hiring her as a burglar.
"There's a lot more to her than just being a woman or appearances suggest." Gandalf carried on as look round the company and then directly to her. "And she got a great deal to offer then any of you know, including herself."
Then Gandalf looked to Thorin for confirmation. "You must trust me on this." He persuaded.
"Very well, we'll do it your way." Thorin reluctantly agreed after a very long pause. The dwarves cheered agreeably, getting excited about what has been decided. "All right, we're off!" Bofur praised in a good mood.
Belle was alarmed by this answer. "No, no, please!" she begged them to reconsider. But they wouldn't take notice of her pleads.
"Give her the contract," Thorin ordered Balin, Balin search through his coat and pulled out folded layered parchment paper, bound with a thin length of leather.
"It's just the usual, summary of out-of-pocket expenses," Balin informed Belle as he held it out the contract to her. "Time required remuneration, funeral arrangements, and so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Belle paled, and then Thorin thrust the contract to her "Hey!" Belle yelped and gave him a look of irritation at him as she clutched the contract at her chest. She went out into the hallway and unravelled the contract. "Oh dear," She grumbled, noting its length.
While she was reading the contract Thorin moved closer to Gandalf. "I cannot guarantee her safety." He whispered. Gandalf nodded to him "Understood." "Nor will I be responsible for her fate," Thorin added. Gandalf hesitated thinking of what might happen to her if she comes. But there's no choice. "Agreed." Thorin bowed with that settlement.
"Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one-fourteenth of total profit, if any." Belle read out loud to herself. "Hmm, seems fair." She muttered to herself. Gandalf watched her in satisfaction as he and the dwarves waited for her to finish reading the contract.
Frodo hid from plain sight as he spied on Belle out of the dining looking up the long parchment, while he listened to find out more information, watching her with curious eyes.
"The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence, therefore, including, but not limited to lacerations…?" Belle read the last bit slowly. She then glanced up at them.
"Evisceration?" She continued in confusion and flips an extra page to finish the last sentence and what she saw made her blanched with dread. "Incineration?" She questioned the dwarves with her eyebrows raised and her face went pale.
"Oh aye," Bofur replied. "He'll melt the flesh off your bones in a blink of an eye."
Having heard that statement, Belle felt suddenly numb and light headed and let out a whimper of fright.
Frodo, sitting in his hiding place, when he heard what Bofur said sent a sudden fear welled up in his heart; the thought of his Aunt face a very dangerous dragon. If his Aunt wanted to go, he might never see her again, like his parents.
Balin, likewise looked at her with concern about her state, as well as the others. "Are you all right, Lassie?" He asked.
"Huh? Yeah," she muttered as she bends down, feeling dizzy and taking deep breaths. "Feel a bit faint."
"Think furnace with wings," Bofur said, "flash of light, searing pain."
"Air, I need some air." She said breathlessly, fanning her herself with the contract. She wanted Bofur to stop.
He carried on, not getting the hint. "Then: Poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash."
She gave a long and agonising silence, the dwarves fixed their eyes on her waited anxiously to hear on whether or she would choose to be their burglar.
Frodo peeked through the doorway to see his aunt standing there saying nothing, waiting nervously to hear her answer.
Until…
"Nope!" She squeaked and then she fainted, Thorin quickly catching her before she hit the floor.
"Oh, that's very helpful, Bofur," She heard Gandalf say sarcastically before she welcomed the darkness, the nightmares of furnaces with wings dancing over her eyes.
With thanks to yinyangswings for proofreading my work, until next chapter Ta-ra! R.I.P. Poppy: my Easter bunny.