Chapter 6

They open the door, and there stands Thorin. He enters Bag End. "Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

Bilbo asked looking at the door, "Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!"

Gandalf said, "There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin walked up to him. "So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

Bilbo asked, "Pardon me?"

Thorin asked, "Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo said, "Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant."

Thorin said, "Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

Then he turned to Anel. Thorin lowered the veil to see her face. "And you St. Anel?"

She replied, "I have spells from my spell book but I burn it since I have photographic memory. But I learn fast depending on the weapon but I'm a master at sword fighting."

Thorin said, "Then I apologies if I sound rude but where is your sword?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have one since whenever I get one, they run off into someone else's hands." she replied.

The dwarves all laugh, and they walk back to the dining table. As Thorin eats, the rest of them talk to him. Balin asked, "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorin said, "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The dwarves murmur their joy. Dwalin asked, "What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

Thorin said, "They will not come." The dwarves murmur in disappointment. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone." Further disappointed murmurs.

Bilbo asked, "You're going on a quest?"

Anel asked, "Bilbo, let us have a little more light. If I use my magic I might accidently burn something."

Bilbo brings a candle to the table, where Gandalf has spread out a map, which was in his pocket. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

Bilbo said, "The Lonely Mountain."

Gloin said, "Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time."

Oin said, "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

Bilbo, hearing "the beast," looks concerned. "Uh, What beast?"

Bofur said, "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 meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"

Bilbo said, "Yes, I know what a dragon is."

Anel put a hand on Bofu's shoulder. "Tone it down a bit for him."

Ori stood up and yelled, "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie."

Several dwarves shout. Dori sat him back down. "Sit down!"

Balin said, "The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."

The dwarves start objecting, saying things like, "Hey, who are you calling dim?" "Watch it!", and "No!"

Oin asked, "What did he say?"

Fili said, "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

Kili said, "And you forget, we have a wizard and a witch in our company. Gandalf, Anel will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."

Gandalf started to stutter. "Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- -"

Dori asked, "How many, then?"

Gandalf asked, "Uh, what?"

Dori asked, "Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

Anel said, "I'm afraid that we haven't done the deed yet. And if we had, you would've seen better shoes on my feet."

Gandalf embarrassedly starts coughing on his pipe smoke; the dwarves jump to their feet, arguing about the number of dragons Gandalf has killed. Thorin jumps up in anger and bellows, silencing the rest. Thorin yelled, "Shazara! (Silence!) If we have read these signs, do you not think 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, and 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!)"

All the dwarves cheer. Balin said, "You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

Gandalf said, "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true."

Anel produces a dwarvish key, ornately wrought. Thorin looks at it in wonder. "How do came you by this?"

Gandalf said, "It was given to us by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now." Anel hands the key to Thorin as everyone looks on in wonder.

Fili said, "If there is a key, there must be a door."

Gandalf points at runes on his map with his pipe. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

Anel said, "There's another way in."

Gandalf said, "Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. 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. 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."

Ori said, "That's why we need a burglar."

Bilbo said, "Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine."

Gloin asked, "And are you?"

Bilbo asked, "Am I what?"

Oin said, "He said he's an expert! Hey hey!"

Several dwarves laugh. Bilbo asked, "M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life."

Balin said, "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material." Bilbo nods in agreement.

Dwalin said, "Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Then he looked at St. Anel. "And forgive me my dear, but we'll constantly be fearful of your safety weapons or not."

Anel said, "I'm a lot tougher then you think Master Dwarf. Remember I grew up mostly in Rohan. Not as mighty as Gondor but still."

The dwarves begin arguing. Gandalf, growing angry, rises to his full height and casts darkness over the group as starts speaking in his "powerful" voice. The others stop in awe. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is. And if I say St. Anel is coming with us, then she shall." Gandalf goes back to his normal self. "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, 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. As for St. Anel, she knows the deals of war given she grew up in Rohan. Her magic was created and harnessed by me and learned by me. She is my daughter and I trust her to guide us. If you really care for her, you will help her released this curse her mother put on her by letting her join your journey to reclaim your home. You must trust me on this."

Thorin said, "Very well. We will do it your way."

Bilbo said, "No, no, no."

Thorin said, "Give him the contract and then give St. Anel hers."

Bilbo tried to plead. "Please."

Bofur yelled, "Alright, we're off!"

Balin hands Bilbo a long contract. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth." Then he handed St. Anel hers. "Yours under the same situation but there's changes in there thanks to your master Gandalf."

Bilbo asked, "Funeral arrangements?"

St. Anel looked at her. "1/18 of profit, funeral arrangements, blah, blah, blah, if Gandalf is gone remain with the group until further notice by either Thorin or Gandalf." She made a quill out of thin air. "Is there a hard surface I can use?" Dwalin gave her a book and she signed her name and gave it to Balin.

Balin looked at the signature. "You have no last name?"

"I asked my father that before he died. He said it was forever gone when the woman he once loved betrayed him by attacking his own people by destroying the 2 giants. I regret to say I have forgotten it." she said.

As Bilbo steps back a few feet to read the contract, Thorin leans toward Gandalf and whispers to him. "I cannot guarantee their safety."

Gandalf said, "Understood."

Thorin said "Nor will I be responsible for their fate especially St. Anel's. Her target is greater than mine and my friends combined."

Gandalf said, "Agreed." Then he put a hand on Thorin's shoulder. "But she needs to be freed and you need a burglar."

Bilbo reads parts of the contract out loud. "Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present Company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations…evisceration…incineration?"

Bofur said, "Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

Bilbo looks a little breathless. "Huh."

Balin asked, "You all right, laddie?"

St. Anel said, "Bofur I told you to cool it."

Bilbo bends over, nauseous and pained. "Uh, yeah...Feel a bit faint."

Bofur said, "Think furnace with wings."

St. Anel yelled, "Bofur!"

Bilbo said "Air, I-I-I need air."

Bofur said, "Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

Bilbo breathes heavily, trying to compose himself as the others stare at him. "Hmmm. Nope." Bilbo falls on the floor in a faint.

St. Anel said, "Ah, very helpful, Bofur. Way to cool it down." She smacks him in the head.

Soon Bilbo is sitting on his chair, holding a mug and talking to Gandalf. "I'll be all right, let me just sit quietly for a moment."

Gandalf said, "You've been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me; when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young Hobbit who always was running off in search of elves and the woods, who'd stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young Hobbit who would have liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps; it's out there."

Bilbo said, "I can't just go running off into the blue. I am a Baggins, of Bag End."

Gandalf said, "You are also a Took. Did you know that your great-great-great-great-uncle, Bullroarer Took, was so large he could ride a real horse?"

Bilbo looked at a portrait of Bullroarer Took on Bilbo's wall. "Yes."

Gandalf said, "Well he could. In the Battle of Green Fields, he charged the goblin ranks. He swung his club so hard it knocked the Goblin King's head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole. And thus the battle was won, and the game of golf invented at the same time."

Bilbo said, "I do believe you made that up."

Gandalf countered. "Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back."

Bilbo was silent at first but then he asked, "Can you promise that I will come back?"

Gandalf was honest. "No. And if you do, you will not be the same."

Bilbo said, "That's what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong Hobbit."

Bilbo walks away down the hall. Gandalf sighs. Balin and Thorin see Bilbo walking away. Balin said, "It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."

Thorin said, "There are a few warriors amongst us."

Balin replied, "Old warriors."

Thorin said, "I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

Balin said, "You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

Thorin holds out the key St. Anel gave him. "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

Balin said, "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

The dwarves gather in Bilbo's living room, smoking their pipes by the fire. They all begin humming, and soon Thorin begins to sing. Gandalf listens from nearby; and Bilbo listens from his bedroom. "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."

St. Anel walked in, eyes glowed white and she sang some of the song as she summoned fire from the fireplace telling the story. "The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, While hammers fell like ringing bells. In places deep, where dark place sleeps, In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord There many a gleaming golden hoard. They shaped and wrought and light they caught To hide in gems on hilt of swords.

On silver necklaces they strung The flowering stars, on crowns they hung The dragon-fire, in twisted wire They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old, We must away, ere break of day, To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves And harps of gold; where no man delves There lay they long, and many a song Was sung unheard by men or elves."

Then the rest of the dwarves joined in. "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.

The bells were ringing in the dale And men looked up with faces pale; Then dragon's ire more fierce than fire Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon; The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom. They fled their hall to dying fall Beneath his feet beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim To dungeons deep and caverns dim We must away, ere break of day, To win our harps and gold from him!"

When it was over, the fire floating out of Bilbo's chimney, then fades into the night sky. St. Anel started to cry. "Please, please forgive me it's—"

Balin said, "We know lassie: Ill-timing visions. We don't blame you."