The company's deathly silence put Andrea on edge. Only moments ago the room was filled with laughter and joy. Then there was rapping at the door, and everything grew silent. Gandalf got up from his seat to open the door. Standing in the doorway, was a regal looking figure with dark hair. Andrea recognized him as Thorin Oakensheild, who she had met with Gandalf at the Prancing Pony less than half a year ago.
"Gandalf," the dwarf greeted him. "I thought you said that this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice." Andrea grinned slightly. The dwarf she had met in the pub hadn't changed at all since their last meeting. She had only hoped that his attitude would not draw her to do something stupid while on the journey. "I would not have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."
"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago." Bilbo was baffled. Andrea smiled. Gandalf had drawn a sign on Bilbo's door, which meant that a burglar lived there. Of course, Gandalf had not made the hobbit aware of this.
"There is a mark. I put it there myself." Gandalf interjected. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakensheild." Thorin was really trying to live up to his kingly title.
"So, this is the hobbit." Thorin crossed his arms and stared Bilbo down. "Tell me Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?" Thorin's question baffled the hobbit. Fighting? What did fighting have to do with greetings?
"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked.
"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Thorin specified. Andrea felt bad for poor Bilbo. Here he had no idea who anyone in his house was and they were making a fool out of him.
"Well, I do have some skill at conkers. If you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant." Bilbo answered sheepishly. Thorin didn't look surprised.
"Thought as much," Thorin sighed. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." The entire company laughed. Andrea and Gandalf laughed lightly as well, though this was done so that they would be acting like the rest of the company. When everyone left the foyer, Andrea turned to Gandalf and rolled her eyes. Gandalf, seeing her motion sighed and nodded. This reaction was unfortunately, not unexpected.
"Rosula my dear, we must be sure to get Mr. Baggins to Erebor to be our burglar. He has no use to the company until we get there. The main reason why the company is on the fence about bringing him along in the first place is that he cannot fight and hasn't been in any dangerous positions in his entire lifetime." Gandalf whispered to her, trying to keep their conversation private. "I want you to look over him. That doesn't mean to hover over him and make everything on the journey easy for him, just make sure he is alive and well when you reach Erebor." Andrea nodded at her mentor's request. This must be why she saw his face inside the water basin with Lady Galadriel. She was destined to protect him. Gandalf's low, scratchy voice broke through her thoughts. "We should be with the others, I believe they are beginning to talk about more serious matters now that Thorin has arrived." Gandalf walked off, and Andrea followed, but something caught her eye.
Tweet Tweet.
Perched on the windowsill outside, there was a goldfinch staring straight at her. Andrea gulped. Goldfinches aren't something you see this late at night. Not only that, but birds never seemed to like her. While other girls would sing harmonies with the bird that was sitting on their shoulder, Andrea would get her hair pulled out by their beaks. So why was this bird staring at her? A memory suddenly dawned upon her like the rising sun. "Lady Galadriel spoke about a goldfinch," Andrea thought. Suddenly a low, booming, and loud voice erupted inside her thoughts. Andrea felt a cold sweat running down her back while the blood drained from her face.
"Andrea Sarafina the Green, defender of righteous!" The voice of a Vala declared. It was feminine. Andrea felt ashamed that she did not recognize the owner of the voice. Perhaps when she was able to get a grip on herself and breath normally, she would be able to recognize whom it was giving her this message.
Andrea's body was shaking and her throat felt as if it were being crushed. Her vision began to become dark around the corners and everything around her looked slightly brighter. Andrea tried to take a deep breath but no air was inhaled. She slowly swayed back and forth. She would have collapsed had Bilbo not seen her and ran to her side.
"Miss Andrea, I mean Miss Sarafina! Are you quite alright?" Bilbo asked. She didn't respond. As quickly as he could, he grabbed a chair and oved it closer to her. He then grabbed her hand and sat her down. When she sat down she began to breathe in deep, heavy breaths. Andrea looked up to him with her clear blue-green eyes. He left her for a moment to fetch a glass of water. When he came back Andrea was breathing normally once again, but she was still shaking a little. "Miss Sarafina, drink this. It may help." Bilbo placed the cup into her hands and brought it to her lips. When the water passed through her parched lips, she was brought back to reality. She turned to face the hobbit and gave a sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry if I gave you a fright. I don't know what overcame me," she apologized.
"No need to feel like that Miss Sarafina. Though, I would like to know what caused you such distress." Bilbo looked at her with concern.
"Do forgive me, but I'm not sure if I'd like to talk about it right now. But I promise you that I'll explain it to you when the right time comes along." Andrea answered. Bilbo opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the murmurs of the dwarves in the other room.
"You're going on a quest?" he asked. Gandalf seemed surprised about his sudden involvement in the conversation.
"Bilbo, my dear fellow. Let us have a little more light." Gandalf suggested. As Bilbo ran out of the room to get a lamp, Andrea slowly moved her chair to the corner in the dining room. At least she would be a part of the conversation at hand. Gandalf pulled out a map and key and presented them to Thorin, who stared at them is awe. For these, were the key elements on their successful journey to the mountain.
"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage." Gandalf continued. At this comment he glanced over at Bilbo, who was rather confused as to what he was saying. "But if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori chimed in.
"Hmm," Bilbo responded. "And a good one too. An expert I'd imagine." Poor Bilbo didn't realize, however, that they were talking about himself.
"And are you?" One of the dwarves questioned.
"Am I what?" Bilbo asked. The dwarves continued to stare at the little hobbit.
"He said he's an expert." Oin exclaimed, after not hearing any denial. At this, several of the dwarves cheered.
"Me? No. No, no, no. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life." Bilbo defended himself.
"Well, I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins." Balin cut in. "He's hardly burglar material." At this, Andrea gulped and looked towards Gandalf. Their intentions for Bilbo would be nothing more than a distant dream if this kind of talk continued.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle fold that can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin added. He then glared at Andrea. "We also cannot afford to be burdened with the troubles a woman carries with her." Andrea returned his glare. Almost without her realizing her movements, she gripped the knife that she had stashed inside of her boot. When she began to remove it, she sensed Gandalf glare at her.
"Rosula…" Gandalf scolded her telepathically. She sighed and released her weapon. He then turned his glare into a playful smirk. "You'll have numerous opportunities to show them what you're capable of while on the journey." Gandalf's remark made Andrea smile. Loud conversation broke their private conversation. After Balin and Dwalin made their comments, everyone decided that they too should be able to put their two-bits in. Andrea looked around at the bickering dwarves, and was disappointed to hear that the majority seemed to think that Bilbo should not accompany them on their journey to reclaim their homeland. Gandalf was no less worried about this. He then stood, casting a dark shadow across the room.
"ENOUGH!" Gandalf's voice boomed. The dwarves were all startled by the outburst, and stared at the wizard in fear. Andrea, however, was unfazed by this display of magic. She was glad that he was able to use it, for it was how Gandalf got people to listen to reason. "IF I SAY BILBO BAGGINS IS A BURGLAR THAN A BURGLAR HE IS!" The shadow vanished and his expression looked more relaxed. "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 unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage." Andrea sighed as the dwarves kept their opinions about the hobbit to themselves. Bilbo, when given the contact, engrossed himself immediately into its contents.
Thorin turned to Gandalf, and lowered his voice to a volume that only he could hear their conversation.
"I cannot guarantee his safety." Thorin whispered. Gandalf nodded.
"Understood," he replied. Gandalf was relieved to know that Andrea would look after the little hobbit.
"Nor shall I be responsible for his fate." At this comment, Gandalf hoped that Andrea would prove herself capable of the task. Fortunately, Andrea had exceptional hearing and heard every whisper. She quietly gulped.
"Agreed," Gandalf responded.
She was on her own in defending Mr. Baggins. She then realized that not only would she have to defend Bilbo and herself, but also the rest of the company. The dwarves doubted her abilities; she could hear their murmurs of uncertainty. The only people who seemed to have any faith in her at all were Fili, Kili, Gandalf, and possibly Bilbo. If the company were attacked while on the road, would she be deemed responsible for anything going wrong, because she was a girl? She got that much from the accusation Dwalin had given her. They all looked at her as bad luck, a pain in their side. Andrea could only hope that none of the sort will occur on the journey, but who could be sure?
"Incineration?" Bilbo exclaimed nervously.
"Oh, aye. He'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur answered. This, was not the answer that Bilbo was looking for. His face paled and he was taking multiple quick, short breaths. He did not look his best.
"You all right laddie?" Balin leaned over and asked him.
"Yeah. Feel a bit faint." Bilbo mumbled. Bofur also noticed the hobbits behavior and continued to talk to him about the dragon.
"Think furnace, with wings!" Bofur thought that by telling people the truth about things, then they had less to be afraid of. Unfortunately, that was not a helpful solution for Bilbo.
"I-I-I need air." Bilbo announced. No one seemed to be listening to his comments except for Andrea, Gandalf and Balin. Yet, Bofur continued.
"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash." Bilbo looked around for a moment, contemplating what the dwarf had just told him. For a moment, Andrea had thought that the hobbit was fine when he began to stand up a little straighter. She was mistaken, however.
"Nope," the hobbit stated before he passed out onto the ground.
"Oh, very helpful Bofur," Gandalf stated with an annoyed tone. Andrea then leapt from her seat and went to Bilbo's side. Due to his size, she was easily able to pick him up and carry him into the next room. There, she sat him down in an armchair near the fire.
Andrea then went into the kitchen to make some coffee for the hobbit to drink when he woke up. To her disadvantage, she didn't know how to serve coffee. Andrea only just remembered to strain the coffee grounds when she was pouting the coffee into a mug. She had only let the coffee sit for less than a minute before pouring it. After it was poured, she poured a hefty amount of milk into the mug, along with several teaspoons of sugar. When she was done creating her dangerous concoction, she left the kitchen and walking in the direction of the room where she had sat down Bilbo.
Before she passed the dining room, it was full of quiet conversation spoken in low voices so only those involved could hear. When she passed the room, it became silent. That could only mean one thing. They were talking about her. Andrea continued into the other room and placed the cup onto a table. She hid behind the wall so that no one would see her, and listened.
"I say she's not to be trusted," Dwalin stated.
"Gandalf? Who is the girl? This Andrea, is she friend or foe?" Dori asked the wizard.
"Now if she were a foe, would Thorin have allowed her to come to this meeting, or allowed me to tell her how to get here? She has no reason to be a foe unless you think up a reason yourself." Gandalf answered, glancing over to Dwalin at the last comment. The dwarf rolled his eyes in response.
"Yes, but, why is she here? Who is she?" Bombur added. At this comment many of the dwarves began demanding for an answer.
"I think that you should ask her for an answer instead of myself. After all, who knows her better than herself?" Gandalf answered the curious dwarves. Andrea sighed at the news. She wasn't sure if she wanted the company to know about who she was. Not yet anyway. After all, she didn't even know if who she was supposed to be would really become who she was.
Bilbo stirred in his armchair and opened his little eyes. When Andrea noticed, she quickly picked up the mug and brought it over to him.
"What happened?" He asked her politely.
"After Bofurs excellent description of Smaug, you passed out. After that, I brought you over here." Andrea explained to the blushing hobbit.
"You didn't have to do that," the hobbit began, but Andrea cut him off.
"Of course I did, especially after my little scene in the foyer earlier tonight!" Andrea exclaimed. Bilbo shrugged. What else would he have done? "Speaking of that, can you please not tell anyone in the company about that?"
"Alright, but why?" Bilbo asked.
"Well, no one really has any faith in me. They all think that because I'm a girl I'll be a burden to the company. None of them think I can defend myself either." She sighed. "I'm being held up to so many expectations, and I can't possibly fulfil them all." She looked at the hobbit with distress, and continued. "But I'll be damned if I cannot prove to these dwarves that I can defend myself and help them when they are in danger, because there will be a day when they will look back on today and regret everything that they thought tonight and possibly for the rest of this journey." At the end of her speech, Bilbo looked at Andrea in shock.
"Miss Sarafina, you have no reason to think that." She rolled her eyes at the hobbit. "Alright, so you do. But that doesn't mean you should let yourself get down about it. Sure some of them don't like you, but come now. Most of them do! You showed them kindness and loyalty, all great qualities in a person. And if they can't see that, well they're not worth it." Andrea looked at the hobbit in awe. It was hard to believe that someone so small can have so much wisdom of the world that they lived in.
Bilbo was shocked when she hugged him while he was still sitting. When she released him from the embrace she whispered, "Thank you," and left the room. Bilbo sipped his coffee as he contemplated any purpose of the embrace. Then, he tasted the drink, and gagged. This was the most disgusting cup of coffee he had ever been given, and that's saying a lot. "Oh," he thought, "it's the thought that counts." So, to his surprise, he continued to drink the foul java.
Thank you sooooo much for reading my stories. I'm sorry it took a while to update. I've just been so busy. If you want a question answered, ask me on my tumblr. Its "justafallacy", so the same username as here. ;) Please review and follow. I love all of you sooo much, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.
Comment your favorite part in the story so far. Oooorrrr...comment your favorite hobbit or LOTR character.
Example: I LUV Fili, Kili and Legolas with a passion. However, my absolute favorite character in all of Tolkien is Eowyn.