Welcome adventurers!
First and foremost, a sincere thanks to ThatBlueStrawberry and three more guest readers for giving me a kudos! And also thank you for the lovely comments, they truly make my day, often days in fact!
I'm very glad to be back here again, and I've got a little confession to make. I'm starting to really love this story!
The characters are beginning to feel very familiar to me, and I get very immersed when I write. So many of the scenes give me goosebumps or make me laugh as I am imagining them in my head, it's quite awesome!
This chapter is once again longer than the previous, seems to be a trend of some sort, and I had a real great time writing it. Hopefully, at least some of that will get extended onto you :)
Now I don't mean to delay you all from reading for far too long, so I will just wish you a very good time, a nice cup of tea or whatever it is that you prefer to indulge on, and I'll see you on the other side!
"Gandalf." Bilbo says as though not at all surprised
The wizard just gives him that characteristic, innocent look of his, and lifts his shoulders slightly underneath the grey fabric.
"Gandalf!" I greet him with a distinctly different tone
"Miss Nela, I'm glad to see you made it here without too much difficulty." he says as he's stepping through the door and around the dwarves who are now composing themselves.
"I did, it wasn't so hard to find after all."
"I told you you would be just fine." he smiles
"Gandalf! Ga-excuse me, could you not do that, Gandalf! Would someone please explain to me what these dwarves are doing in my house?" Bilbo slams the door shut and marches over to us
"My dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asks
"What's the matter? I'm surrounded by dwarves! What are they doing here?!"
"Oh but they're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them."
"I don't want to get used to them!" Bilbo starts ushering Gandalf further into the house and giving him an account of everything the dwarves have ruined already.
Deciding that this is a conversation I needn't be a part of, I make my way over to the kitchen to join the 'merry gathering', as Gandalf so aptly put it. Most of the dwarves from the hallway have by now made themselves quite at home, and are transferring everything from the pantry over to the dining room. When I make it there, it's already a feast worthy of song.
Sausages, beef, pork, chicken, bacon, ham, cheese, fruits, vegetables, pastries, ale, wine, you name it. My mouth starts immediately watering at the sight.
"I think you're drooling there a little bit, Miss." Kíli jokes as he passes by, carrying a basket full of food
"Just Nela, if you don't mind, and you blame me?" I retort
"Not at all." he grins and disappears behind the wall
"So lassie, where'd ye come from?" sounds a voice from behind me
I turn around and Bofur is standing there, leaning against the wall and smoking a pipe
"Really from all over, master dwarf. What about you?"
"Born and bred in the Blue Mountains. Still, I can't wait to kick that dragon's behind off Erebor, I tell ye that. The place is the pride of our people. Speaking of which, I'm Bofur, at yer service." he bows his head a bit
" Nela Albern, at yours. So tell me, Bofur, how is life in Ered Luin? Are you all getting by alright?"
"Well lassie, it's by no means easy, but aye, we get by. My family are miners, and me and my cousin Bifur, we like to make toys from time to time."
"That's nice. Maybe you could carve me a pipe if we all get out of this alive." I smile at him
"It would be my pleasure." he smiles back
Bombur wobbles out of the dining room and shouts over at his brother
"Come on Bofur, the festivities are starting, hurry up before all the ale's gone! You too, lassie! We all need the proper nourishments before this journey, of course purely for the sake of strength and morale. And those are my orders as the company's official culinary expert, so ye both better get over here!"
"Don't worry, master Bombur. I never miss a chance to increase my strength and morale if it's by this means!"
"Now that's what I like to hear, lass. Come on then!" he beckons us over and wobbles back inside the room
"Well, for one, I'm glad your brother's our cook." I say to Bofur
"Aye, me too. Ye can't possibly starve even if ye really tried when Bombur's around."
"I bet."
With that, we go on and join the rest of the company. Bofur goes to sit near the foot of the table, meanwhile I catch sight of Kíli waving me over to go sit next to him and Fíli, who's still in the pantry pillaging for some more 'provisions', as Bombur so nicely put it.
I just point at the mountain of food on the table and the 9 dwarves surrounding it and throwing food around, gesturing to him that there is no way I can at this point possibly get through, and that I'll just have to find a chair and sit over on the edge.
"Who wants an ale?" Fíli runs into the room, somehow holding 4 or more pints of ale all at once
The company erupts in even louder cheers, and Fíli starts handing them over to the closest dwarves. Meanwhile I'm still trying to find a chair to finally sit down in, when a hand grabs me by the forearm and pulls me forward.
"Come on, lass, just come through this way"
It's Fíli who is now climbing onto the table, and pulling me after him.
"Wha-, what? On top of the food? Do we really wa-"
"Trust me, you'll never sit down otherwise."
The guy's got a point
And so I hop on the table after him and we balance and tip toe around the main dishes, making everything else on the table jump up and down as if there was an earthquake magnitude 10 currently raging in the region.
"Ha!" Fíli exclaims as he hops down onto the bench, spilling half of his ale into the air.
"Jesus." I land on the seat next to him, glad to be finally sitting.
"Enjoying yerself yet, lassie?" Bofur shouts to me from where he's seated
"Oh immensely" I shout back, not quite sure myself whether is was irony or not
"Let me have another drink." says Oin across the table
"Here ye go" Dwalin shouts and pours his whole pint into Oin's ear trumpet.
The dwarf rips it away as soon as the liquid pours into his ear, swearing at Dwalin, and then blows the ale out of it like a trumpet. The entire table is sent into even more hysterical heaps of laughter, me included at this point, and more food goes flying.
"On the count of three!" Bofur shouts over the commotion, and all the dwarves lean forward and clink their pints together.
"One!"
I thought the clinking was on count of three
"Two!"
Oh, they're about to chug the ale aren't they
"Three!"
Of course they are
Kíli shouts out enthusiastically and all the dwarves put the pints to their mouths and bend their heads back to maximise the flow of ale, which of course makes it flow down their faces and beards.
Now I dare say this is just a waste of good alcohol
Nonetheless, I lift up my own pint and take a decent gulp.
If only they knew I downed 5 pints at The Prancing Pony
The first burp, already quite the thing, comes from Nori, to my left.
However the burp of all burps, a belch of astronomical proportions, is produced by the youngest Ori, who stands up from right next to me and unleashes such an evil, that I will not forget it for the rest of my life.
Impressive, absolutely disgusting, but somewhat impressive
Although growing up with 3 brothers like I did heightens one's tolerance for these things to a degree, I must say I was still glad when the dwarves began to settle down a bit, and eventually pool out of the dining room.
I walk over to Dwalin as we're all making our way out "Glad to see the moldy cheese made it to the dinner table." I say jokingly and point at the crumbs on one of the plates, which are seemingly all that's left of it
"And it appears it was quite the success too." I nudge him lightly in the arm and subsequently speed up towards the living room, just in case he didn't take the jokey attitude with as much grace as I hoped he would. On the way I spot Balin giving me an approving wink.
"Excuse me, that is a doily, not a dishcloth!" an unnerved Bilbo storms past me and yanks the white fabric out of Nori's hand, who was using it to clean a wine glass
"But it's full of holes." counters Bofur who is leaning against the fireplace holding his pint
"It's supposed to be like that, it's crochet." Bilbo snaps back
"Oh what a wonderful game that is, too. If ye've got the balls for it."
I can't help but snicker loudly at this
Seems that puns are eternal
Bilbo just scoffs and marches off into the hallway. I follow after him.
"Oh come on, , is it all so bad?"
If only he knew the dwarves actually did him a great service by eating all that food. Otherwise, it would've gone rotten here in all the months he'll be gone. Unfortunately, I can't very well tell him that.
"Is it all so bad? The state of my kitchen! There's mud trod into the carpet, they've pillaged the pantry, and I'm not even going to tell you what they've done in the bathroom. The plumbing is all but destroyed!"
"Well, — "
" — 'Scuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what shall I do with my plate?" Ori comes up to us and asks Bilbo innocently
I, for one, am glad he interrupted, because I've got no idea what my words of consolation were going to be.
"Here you go Ori, give it to me." Fili walks up to us and takes the plate from him
At the same time, Gandalf appears in the hallway, but before he can say anything to the apparently distressed hobbit, that same plate flies by his head.
Right behind him, Kíli catches it and tosses it over to the dining room. Soon Fíli tosses a second one, and Kíli once again catches it and 'passes it along'.
Oooh yeah, I know what's happening here
"Hey Fíli, you wanna hand me one of those?" I ask him mischievously
"Here ye go." he looks a bit surprised at first, but then smirks back and bounces another plate from one elbow to another, sending it flying in my direction
I catch it onto my own elbow, mimic his method and send it over to the other, and then back to the right one, before sending it flying directly above my head and then letting it fall down. Just before it hits the floor though, I put my foot in it's way, bounce it off from its side and send it flying towards Kíli.
He only just manages to catch it, having found himself staring, apparently quite impressed at the little trick I just pulled.
I also happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve, fellas
"Not too bad, Miss Albern, not too bad." Fíli laughs and nods approvingly "But can you do this? Ori, hand me another plate, would ye laddie?"
Ori, standing near us with eyes sparkling like a young kiddo in Disneyland, tosses Fíli a bowl and stands back, his gaze not leaving the scene for one second.
Fíli catches it on the palm of his outstretched arm and let's it roll down it, across his chest, and over to the other arm which is positioned downwards. There he grabs it in his open hand, and then tosses it to Kíli like a frisbee.
Hah, is this all you can conjure, Saruman?
"Alright, not so bad yourself, master dwarf, but how about this one? Ori, would you please toss me two plates?"
I really hope I'm not overestimating myself here. I'd feel like a real prick if I ended up being the one to break Bilbo's tableware
"Kíli, you get ready for two over there!"
Ori, mouth hanging open at the idea of anyone conjuring up anything with two plates at the same time, grabs the dishes and throws them over to me. I catch the first one with my right hand, the second one with my left, and then juggle to switch them around. I repeat this two more times, and stop as I feel myself losing track of which plate is where. I grin to myself in quiet relief at the fact that my little circus stunt was successful, and to finish up I just lift up my leg to throw the plates from underneath it.
Funny that a juggling crash course at a school festival almost half a year ago came to this kind of use
"Excuse me! That's my mother's Westfarthing pottery, it's over 100 years old!" Bilbo shrieks as Fíli tosses Kíli another plate
Oh god, 100 years old?! I was just amateur-juggling a bloody relic!
"Don't worry , it's under control. They won't break anything, I can promise you that." I go off to the side and say to Bilbo in an attempt to somewhat ease his suffering
The only one who could've broken anything was me, which thankfully didn't happen, so I'll probably stop messing around now, just in case.
"Oh, I can promise you they will, young lady! Those bloody dwarves just drank 3 barrels worth of ale, they shouldn't be standing, let alone performing stunts with antiques! Put tha-, I said put that down!" Bilbo runs off to try and salvage some of the pottery Ori is passing on
Just as he does, a symphony of scraping, clinking and clanging mixed with an accompanying rhythm of thumping boots, starts sounding from the dining room.
"Can you not do that, you'll blunt them!" Bilbo says as he reemerges and sees what's happening behind the dining table
"Ooh, d'you hear that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives!" Bofur teases and the rest of the dwarves laugh
Then, from right outside the door, echoes Kíli's voice:
Blunt the knives, bend the forks,
Fíli continues
Smash the bottles and burn the corks,
And now all the dwarves sing together
Chip the glasses and crack the plates,
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat,
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat,
Pour the milk on the pantry floor,
Splash the wine on every door!
The dwarves are all working away like mad, singing their hearts and lungs out. One tosses the dish to the other, then someone washes them, sends them along to another who wipes them, and then tosses them over to be neatly piled up on the table.
By the time the third verse of the song comes around, I'm cheerily singing along with them and helping pass the plates between the dwarves.
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;
Pound them up with a thumping pole;
And when you're finished if any are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!
Bofur starts playing a wooden flute which I'd bet he hand-carved, Oin is playing a teapot like some kind of wind instrument, and Balin is sitting at the foot of the table and very nonchalantly flipping all sorts of cutlery and pottery backwards and over his head using a plate. The result? A flawlessly functioning and highly efficient cleaning service.
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
By the time the song is finished, everyone is mostly standing around, leaning against a wall, and holding their respective pints. In the middle, sitting on the dining table, is all the tableware the dwarves pillaged from across Bag End upon arrival. Clean, dried and neatly piled up. Bilbo storms into the room outraged, just to stare dumbfounded at the result of the 'ruckus', as I'm sure he himself would call it.
All the dwarves laugh hysterically at this, while me and Gandalf just chuckle and watch the scene fondly, exchanging a quick smile afterwards.
Suddenly, the 'merry gathering' is interrupted as three loud knocks echo through the house, already then carrying with them an aura of strength and authority. All the dwarves turn silent, and Gandalf speaks out solemnly:
"He's here."
The wizard is the first of us to head for the door, but soon we all follow and wait in the entrance to the hallway, looking in. I quickly push through all the dwarves so I can see something, being even shorter than them, and then just stand there, watching the door intently.
It's quite incredible, the intensity he brings with him. I can feel the dwarves' respect and fierce loyalty, even when he's just outside the door.
Gandalf takes the doorknob in his hand, twists it, and pulls the door wide open.
Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thor, King under the Mountain
And indeed, there he stands.
"Gandalf." Thorin looks in with subtly raised eyebrows and a kind smile " 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." he takes his cape off as Gandalf closes the door behind him.
"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago." Bilbo asserts after pushing forward through the dwarves and myself.
"There is a mark, I put it there myself." Gandalf says and then stretches out his hand towards the hobbit
"Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."
"So, this is the hobbit." Thorin looks at Bilbo and walks closer to him
"Tell me, , have you done much fighting?" he starts to walk around him, looking him up and down
"Pardon me?" Bilbo asks, confused
"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice." Thorin continues in that cold, uncompromising voice
Uncompromising, I dare call it condescending. I thought perhaps he won't be so, well, nasty, and above all unfair at the beginning, but apparently he will.
"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant." Bilbo answers confidently
"Thought as much, he looks more like a grocer, than a burglar."
All the dwarves laugh at this, and so does Gandalf, although in his case it looks more like an act of trying to not stir up any conflict, rather than actually finding the comment funny.
"Or like a man whose home has been invaded by strangers without explanation." an unfamiliar voice breaks through from the crowd of dwarves
The room turns strangely silent, laughter suddenly dying out and turning into murmurs, before ceasing completely.
An even bigger surprise however, is when I realize that that 'unfamiliar' voice belonged to me.
Thorin turns back around, and I step out of the crowd, so our eyes meet.
"And who are you, another hobbit?" he scoffs, the rest of the dwarves are now looking at one another, some nervously
Gandalf steps in
"Thorin, I acquired Miss Albern's services myself when I was on my way from Ered Luin, she—
"I'm here mostly to take care of the ponies, and help you reclaim your homeland as best I can." I interrupt Gandalf's speaking
"That is the precise offer I was presented with when I met Gandalf in Bree, and one which I was more than happy to agree to. On the contrary, here has not been informed about anything, he knows nothing about your quest or your motivations, nor does he know any of you, and he most definitely hasn't agreed to anything. So considering the entrance we made, I believe he is perfectly within his right to feel, at the bare minimum, very confused."
The silence prevails, getting increasingly tense after what I said.
Can't believe I didn't just keep my mouth shut.
"Well then, 'Miss Albern', tell me, what is it exactly that made Gandalf consider you 'qualified', to join our company?" Thorin asks with cold sarcasm, throwing a quick look in the wizard's direction too
"What, you mean my 'weapon of choice'? Well, generally speaking that would be good company, great food, and preferably a bit of intellect present on duty in the upper quarters, that never hurts." I joke lightly
Maybe not the most appropriate time
Fortunately, I hear a couple of snickers erupt from the group of dwarves, finally breaking the uncomfortable and frankly intimidating silence, and bringing me a bit of much-needed relief. My guess would be they came from Fíli and Kíli, the two being the only ones young and defiant enough for their sense of humour to still overpower their sense of authority.
"You think this quest is a joke? That it is something to be taken lightly?" Thorin says harshly, speaking to me while tilting his head slightly to the left as a gesture to whoever it was that laughed to keep quiet.
"I don't, Thorin. I promise you, truly, that I take this quest just as seriously as those of you who used to call the Kingdom of Erebor home. But if I were you I wouldn't treat my host, one who has yet to agree to be a part of your journey but provided food and shelter to your people regardless, as some inadequate, meager fellow. He simply doesn't deserve that."
I look over at Bilbo who was previously looking down, his face showing upset but also regret, perhaps because Thorin's words, no matter how harsh or uncalled for, rang true. He is now looking up at me, his expression unreadable, although I'd swear I saw a shadow of pleasant surprise in his eyes, hidden behind all the confusion and agitation of the afternoon's events.
"Alright. If that is how it is then I thank you, mister Baggins, for offering your hospitality to me and my company." Thorin says to Bilbo and bows his head down very subtly, his tone cold but sincere
Then he turns to me.
"Still, I consider him no more fit to be a part of it than I did when I first walked in. Nothing has changed about that, and I strongly doubt it will." this time his tone is strict
"Then that's your judgement, and I will say nothing more against it." I tell him.
And with that, the tension starts to fade from the air.
The dwarves make their way back to the dining room, understanding that the exchange is over, and Thorin follows after them with no further looks or comments. Oddly enough, the mood feels quite light again within the minute, and I'm ready to join everyone without any reluctance or discomfort.
Thorin is by no means an evil man. And I believe he is fair, but seems to have chosen to direct his frustration, or anxiety, or whatever it is, on poor Bilbo, very much undeservedly. I see no reason why some civil conversation can't make that better till Bilbo has a chance to prove himself to Thorin.
Gandalf, who was leaning with his elbow against the ceiling for the past several minutes, releases a deep breath once all the dwarves have gone from the hallway, apparently having been harbouring more frustration than me. This finally seems to take Bilbo out of his thoughts, and he looks over at the wizard, who throws him a small, somewhat apologetic smile.
"Well, shall we?" I ask both of them and gesture towards the dining room
Not really waiting for an answer, I walk over to where all the dwarves are already sat.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin, did they all come?" I hear Balin ask as I approach
"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin answers him
The dwarves all make loud sounds of approval at this, the characteristic, underlining chatter and table-banging having resumed among all of them.
You don't know what you've got until it's gone, huh?
I finally make it to the room where all the dwarves sit around Thorin, who is eating what looks like a bowl of broth. Needless to say his technique of consumption is far different from the wild feasting that ensued here earlier. The dwarven king just sits there calmly, sipping spoon after spoon quietly, giving his account of the talks in Ered Luin.
My eyes catch Kíli waving over to where he and Fíli are sitting. He points at the empty spot on the bench next to him and beckons me over.
I smile and show him a 'thumbs up', only realizing later he may have no clue what that means, and quietly shuffle over.
As I sit down, he leans over to me and whispers quietly to not interrupt the conversation happening at the foot of the table.
"I have to say, I'm still not sure how I feel about your exchange with my uncle, but you do have proper backbone, I've got to give ye that."
"I'm not sure how I feel about it either, but thanks for the compliment." I whisper back and grin at him
He just shakes his head, but smiles at the end. Then we both tune back in to what news Thorin brings. The next question comes from Dwalin.
"What did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" he asks "Is Dain with us?"
Thorin takes in a breath, the sign of a leader who knows he's about to disappoint his men, and answers "They will not come."
Unlike the hearty response to the first news, this one is quieter, mostly sighs and mutters under one's breath.
I look up to see Gandalf has somewhere along the way also joined the assembly, pulling up a chair next to Thorin, and is now observing the dwarves' reactions with a gaze which tells me the information is not as much of a news to him as it is to them.
"They say the quest is ours, and ours alone." Thorin adds and takes a drink from his pint
More disconnect murmur and sore looks follow
"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo's voice comes from behind Gandalf
Gandalf turns his head to him "Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light."
"Uh-huh." Bilbo nods and goes over the hallway to find something that would do the job
While he does that, Gandalf reaches into a pocket of his robe, and takes out a piece of folded parchment.
"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers…"
I immediately feel the goosebumps break out all over my body, the smoke from Bofur's pipe settling a thin mist over the room. Gandalf continues unfolding the parchment, and lays it out on the table in front of us.
"...beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."
He points at the drawing in the middle of the map.
The Lonely Mountain
"The Lonely Mountain." Bilbo reads out loud at the same time, shining candlelight onto the map
"Aye." Gloin asserts to the group "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time!" his voice without doubt or hesitance
Gandalf lights his pipe by sparking a small fire from his fingertip, a display of raw magic I'm not sure anyone but me caught in that moment.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold." Oin speaks out, voice no less urgent and resolute than his brother's was "When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."
Smaug, a fire drake of the Third Age, and the last Great dragon to live in Middle Earth
"What beast?" Bilbo asks from the hallway, concerned, but not without a hint of curiosity seeping into his voice
Gandalf lifts his eyes from his pipe, and turns them towards the hobbit, watching him carefully.
"Oh that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity, of our age." Bofur tells casually, still drawing the looks of all the dwarves who's demeanor changes noticeably at the beast's mention
I look around me, from one dwarf to another, and see the look in their eyes. In some there are small traces of fear, but mostly there is resolve, determination, and above all courage.
All these dwarves, it never occurred to me to the full extent what they all signed up for when joining Thorin on his quest. A company of 13, retaking a kingdom from a dragon who wiped out many of their friends and family, and destroyed their entire livelihoods. It's hard not to feel respect and admiration for that kind of strength, both inside and out.
"Airborne firebreather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metal—" Bofur continues his dramatic, though accurate, depiction
"Yes I know what a dragon is." Bilbo interrupts him
Suddenly Ori, the youngest of all the dwarves, stands up from his seat and declares fiercely:
"I'm not afraid, I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!" he looks around smirking
Many of the other dwarves cheer him on, laughing and banging on the table, while his older brother Dori grabs him by the elbow and pulls him back down "Sit down!" he tells him strictly, although you can tell the funny, endearing remark wasn't lost on him either.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen!" Balin, who did not find as much amusement in Ori's display as the others did, cuts in
"And not thirteen of the best. Not brightest." he adds, lifting his eyebrows at Thorin
This immediately invokes another wave of grunts and complaints, making me roll my eyes and lean back into the seat, sighing deeply.
They are a bloody obstinate lot though, at this rate we'll be here all night.
Without warning, a fist lands on the table right next to me, making everything jump, me included.
Jesus H Roosevelt Christ, can they not stop hitting things constantly
The hand turns out to be Fíli's.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us. To the last dwarf!" he looks between all his kinsmen with a fiery expression
"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company!" Kíli adds enthusiastically
Oh Kíli, not this one
I try to nudge him under the table to spare Gandalf the suffering, but the young dwarven prince doesn't seem to register it. I resort to kicking him in the foot, just to realize that here, everyone's been stomping on everyone's feet for half an hour, and hence have either gone numb, or pay no attention to it. And so I just send Gandalf, who is already starting to look slightly uneasy, a sympathetic look.
Sorry my friend, I tried
Kíli just goes on excitedly
"Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" he leans forward on the table, looking over at Gandalf, as do the other 12 dwarves
"O-oh, well, no I wouldn't say—" Gandalf starts saying nervously
"How many then?" Dori urges suddenly
"What?" the wizard asks, getting really mortified
"Well, how many dragons have you killed?"
Gandalf starts seemingly choking on the smoke from his pipeweed, coughing and releasing small puffs of it from the corner of his mouth.
I'm afraid you're not getting out of this one that easy, Gandalf
"Go on! Give us a number!" Dori presses on
Once again, without warning, Dwalin and Bifur stand up from their side of the table, showing their fists at Dori, meanwhile Nori raises from his seat next to his brother and tries to calm down both sides.
Fortunately for me, Fíli and Kíli who are nearest to my position don't get involved in this one, my guess being that they won't want to anger their uncle, who as it turns out a few seconds later, does not appreciate this havoc in the slightest.
Bilbo tries to settle down the dwarves in his characteristically polite manner, which I am glad to see has returned to him, but to no avail.
Thorin however achieves a lot more success.
The dwarven king stands up, appearing a lot taller than he is as he towers over the table, and shouts:
"Atkât!"
Khuzdul, or dwarvish, for silence
I find myself subconsciously sinking deeper into my seat, and so do the dwarven princes sitting next to me, as Thorin's voice thunders through the room with an unnatural force. All the dwarves who were standing up and shouting are pulled down to their respective places like the force of a magnet, and complete silence ensues.
"If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too?" he speaks, eyeing each dwarf as he does
Gandalf nods his head silently, glad to be moved on from the previous topic, and apparently finding himself in agreement with Thorin's thought.
"Rumours have begun to spread, 'the dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years'. Eyes look East to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected."
The dwarves who were before mostly looking down, still ashamed after their earlier display, are beginning to look up towards their king, eyes now full of longing.
"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!" Thorin shouts out the proud dwarven battle cry, fist raised up in front of him, and the cheers follow. Pints are raised, the table shakes once again…
"You forget!" Balin's voice interrupts the determined uproar once again "The front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true." Gandalf speaks out, and out of his sleeve produces a large metallic key, unmistakably dwarven-made.
The moment Thorin's eyes land on the item, realization spreads across his features.
"How came you by this?"
Bilbo has now come closer and stares also at the key, curiosity now prevailing over all his reservations.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain. For safekeeping. 'Tis your now." Gandalf looks fondly at Thorin, and stretches out the hand holding the answer to a moments ago impossible question.
All the dwarves' eyes follow the key as it is passed from the safety of Gandalf's robes into the palm of Thorin's hand, and when he finally has it in his grasp, it's as though they all simultaneously draw a breath as one.
"If there is a key, there must be a door." Fíli looks up from his hands and at his uncle.
Huh, is that so? I never would've guessed.
Gandalf continues, pointing at a collection of runes on the left-hand side of the map;
"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the Lower Halls."
Kíli grabs his brother by the shoulder and looks towards the dwarves, his smile hopeful: "There's another way in."
"Well, if we can find it. But dwarf doors are invisible when closed." Gandalf answers to that and sighs
He's frustrated that he can't read the runes for the company himself, I can tell.
"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."
I can see Thorin tens up immediately, likely knowing some of the 'others' who Gandalf may have in mind.
Elves.
Gandalf shifts himself in his chair and looks over the entire company, stopping at me for just a moment longer, his expression not conveying any meaning I could understand.
I do hope he's right about bringing me along. It's not that I don't want to, god I want to, but the things it could do, inserting someone into an already existing timeline?
He clears his throat, and continues presenting his plan;
"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage." Gandalf looks over at Bilbo, who still remains oblivious
Not for much longer
"But if we are careful, and clever, I believe it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar!" Ori points out, making the connection
"Hm, and a good one too. An expert, I'd imagine." Bilbo adds unknowingly
"And are you?" Oin ask, looking at Bilbo critically
All the dwarves follow Oin's gaze, and now the entire room is staring at Bilbo, who in response looks over his shoulder to make sure they are talking to him, because surely, they can't be, right?
I'm afraid so, my dear Bilbo, I'm afraid so
"Am I what?" he asks, still confused
"He said he's an expert!" Oin announces enthusiastically, having clearly misheard through his ear trumpet
All the dwarves just give him a funny look, shaking their heads.
"Me? No, nonono I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life!" Bilbo declares proudly
"I'm afraid I have to agree with ." says Balin "He's hardly burglar-material."
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin agrees
Bilbo nods off all of this happily, taking it as a compliment, considering his current circumstance.
Ruckus and arguing breaks out among the dwarves once again, this time the topic being Bilbo Baggins' qualification as a Burglar .
What is that, the fifth time this evening? Goodness gracious they are a rowdy lot.
I shift my eyes to Gandalf, who is looking increasingly angry. Quite a scary sight, might I add.
As the chaos keeps escalating, Gandalf starts almost shaking with annoyance, when finally;
"ENOUGH!" the room darkens as the wizard's voice resonates through it
He rises from his seat, and towers over all of us.
"If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is." light fills the walls as he speaks the last words, the darkness gone and as if it was never there.
"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet, in fact, they can pass unseen by most if they chose. 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."
Some of the dwarves start slowly nodding at this as though they are beginning to see the tactical benefit, while others remain skeptical, Thorin being one of them.
Gandalf looks over at the leader of the company.
"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." he throws Bilbo a quick glance at that last remark, before directing his focus back to Thorin.
"You must trust me on this."
Thorin watches the wizard doubtfully, but eventually his gaze softens.
"Very well, we'll do it your way." Bilbo starts protesting in the back
"But what about her?" he nods his head at me
I can feel Fíli and Kíli tense up next to me, and the other dwarves' eyes move from Thorin to my person, lingering there.
"I did not ask you to find a 15th member of this company. Or shall I also trust you on that? It's a lot of blind faith you ask of me, Gandalf. Far more than I am comfortable with."
"I admit Miss Albern's appearance was an...unexpected...one. However in all my time I have never come across an unusual meeting like ours that would not be of significance. And I have learned not to dare ignore such signs.
"I will not risk the lives of my company based on a chance encounter."
"Then you may want to know it was a 'chance' encounter that made your quest possible!" Gandalf's voice rises again
"If I hadn't met Thrain, your father, when I did, and he hadn't given me the map and the key, you would now have no way inside the mountain. So call it chance if you wish, although I've stopped believing in such things long ago, but you cannot deny its importance."
Thorin looks at Gandalf for a long time, a palpably conflicted argument taking place inside his head.
I start tapping my leg on the floor, even my usually steel-nerves cracking at the immense anticipation of the moment.
I knew this was going to be trouble, of course it was. I'm not sure I'd be willing to take me if I were Thorin. He was right, Gandalf requires far too much blind faith of him. Especially with all that's at stake.
I look to my side at Fíli and Kíli, just to find them looking even more tense than I am. They don't even seem to notice me looking at them, and so I move on to the other dwarves around the table to see their reactions.
Well, if nothing else comes of this, it seems that I at least got to make friends with two dwarven princes, and very handsome ones at that.
I inwardly smile to myself
Looking over to the other dwarves, most of them seem to be lost in their own thoughts, not particularly invested in the current dilemma.
No wonder, I've hardly spoken to most of them.
When my eyes land on Balin, he is actually looking at me, which I somehow hadn't noticed before, likely having been lost in my own thinking for a while. Noticing that I am now looking back at him, he gives me a small smile and moves on with his gaze. The impression I got was that he's conflicted himself about my involvement in the quest.
Bofur, right next to him, displays a similar reaction, his smile just slightly wider than Balin's, conveying support rather than sympathy.
Well that's refreshing, looks like Bofur is holding out some hope.
I flash him a smile of my own, and look over at the last dwarf who I hadn't yet accounted for, Dwalin. The expression on his face is actually quite funny. It's a little difficult to describe, but it looks like he's getting angry at himself for feeling any sort of tension or anticipation on my behalf.
Hah, it pains him to admit to himself that he'd like me along on the journey. If I'm allowed to come, I just might find it a difficult not to crack a joke or two about that.
I finally resort back to staring at my hands, which are folded on the table in front of me, and start twiddling my thumbs to keep myself somewhat occupied.
"Fine, give them the contract."
What?
"What?" Bilbo yelps
"Alright! We're off!" Bofur exclaims
"By my beard, I'm in!" I spring up from my chair happily
"Ye don't have a beard." Dwalin mutters grumpily
"I know! Oh man, this is great!"
Balin gets up from his seat, and takes a scroll out of his coat.
"We've only got one, so ye will have to both read and sign on the same paper. It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth." he summarises, passing the contract to Bilbo
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo asks confusedly and gets no answer
Guess they took that one as a rhetorical question
I make my way over to Bilbo so I can read through the contract myself.
Although I can't possibly imagine what it would have to say in order for me to not sign it
As I'm leaving the table I get a congratulating pat on the shoulder from both Fíli and Kíli
"Glad to have you on board." Kíli says
"Aye, I wasn't sure uncle would let ye for a second there" Fíli adds
"Me neither." I answer honestly, letting out a puff of air at the not so distant memory of how nervous I felt when Thorin was still deciding
I walk over to Bilbo and join him in reading the contract. Soon I realize that I already know what it states anyway, and so my eyes turn to the table where Gandalf and Thorin are currently whispering to each other.
And I happen to remember what they're saying, if the movie was accurate.
Thorin is telling Gandalf that he cannot guarantee Bilbo's, and I suppose now also my, safety, and that he will not be responsible for our fate.
Ye of little faith
Although at that moment I'm not quite sure whether that is something I am saying to Thorin, or myself.
" 'The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to…lacerations. Evisceration." Bilbo starts reading some of the terms out loud "Incineration?"
"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur explains casually
Immensely helpful, Bofur
Bilbo starts looking more and more pale and green-ish by the second.
"Ye alright there, laddie?" Balin asks him
"Huh? Yeah, I fe-I feel a bit fant." Bilbo takes a deep breath
"Think furnace, with wings." Bofur clarifies
"As if that makes the idea any better." I can't help but add this time
"I...I...I need air." Bilbo manages to utter
"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're—"
"Master Bofur, I don't mean to interrupt your narration, but I think he gets it." I cut off the dwarf's vivid descriptions and point my thumb back at Bilbo, who's now bent forward, leaning on his knees and trying to take deep breaths
"Ah." Bofur just nods his head and sits back down
Bilbo seems to stand up straight, thinking for a moment,
Oh, maybe he got over it.
, before he looks over at us and manages a quick "No." before his eyes roll back in his head and he faints, collapsing on the floor. I only just manage to stuff my palm under his head before it hits the floor.
"Oh. Very helpful, Bofur." Gandalf says to the dwarf ironically.
I just let out a sign from my crouching position on the floor, next to a passed out Bilbo Baggins.
The dwarves helped move him over to the armchair next to the fireplace, and then dispersed, settling down in various corners of Bag End to talk amongst themselves. I decided to head over to the kitchen and make a fresh kettle of tea as best I could with the Middle-Earthan resources, with the hope in mind that how different can it really be?
Fortunately, my hopes were correct, and so when Bilbo came to his senses, there was a warm, steaming cup of tea on the small coffee table next to him. I left him and Gandalf alone to talk, knowing the importance of that conversation, and went to sit down with Ori, Bifur, and Gloin, who were sitting closest to the scene.
"Ye think he'll come around?" Ori wonders out loud
"I doubt it, laddie." Gloin answers the young dwarf "Folk like him are not made for the kind of journey we are going on."
Ori bows his head slightly and continues knitting two pieces of stray fabric together out of boredom
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Ori." I tell him "He just might surprise us."
We wait like this for a few minutes longer, all minding to our own thoughts and devices.
"—you've got the wrong hobbit." I overhear from the living room, and when I turn my head Bilbo is walking away from the armchair and towards his bedroom
And there he goes
I hop down from the cupboard I was propped up on and walk over to Gandalf, who is sitting in the chair opposite where Bilbo was, looking slightly defeated.
"Don't worry Gandalf, he will come around, trust me, I would know." I emphasize that last phrases, giving the wizard a little smirk
"I know it too, there is no doubt in my mind. It is just sad to see what a life full of too much comfort can do to a curious soul like Bilbo's. Thankfully, I believe it is reversible."
And you are correct in that once again
"Well, even if he won't sign it right now, I certainly will." I sit down in the armchair which Bilbo vacated, and pull the piece of parchment towards me.
Skimming over the text quickly, I make my way down to the signatures section, where it writes:
Signed: Thorin son of Thrain
Witnessed: Balin son of Fundin
Burglar:
Leaving the space for Bilbo's signature blank, I add a fourth title and sign my name next to it:
Horse-handler: Nela Albern
Looking down at my makeshift solution, it all sinks in. I'm a member of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. I have it on paper.
Well, it isn't exactly bulletproof, legally-speaking, but it will have to do. All the more reason to stay alive and not lose any limbs, the insurance would be a real pain.
"Done." I say to Gandalf, smiling, just to find him deep in though, smoking his Old Toby
Nevermind that then
I fold up the contract and get up to go find Balin and hand it over. I spot him speaking to Thorin in the hallway. Not wanting to interrupt, I lean against a wall at the other end of the corridor, waiting quietly. I overhear bits of the conversation
"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask no more than that." Thorin says to Balin
The older dwarf shakes his head.
"You don't have to do this. You have a choice."
He isn't talking Thorin out of it, he wants to make sure Thorin knows what he's in for, and I mean really, truly knows it. It's as though he's testing whether the dwarven king really feels no hesitation, has no second thoughts, almost tempting him with them.
"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." Balin answers sincerely
Thorin pauses at this, but his mind does not weaver. He stands up from against the wall, walking closer to Balin, and in his hand holding up the key to the secret entrance.
"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me." that incredible strength in his voice comes through again
"They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me." he finishes with absolute certainty
Balin nods to himself, and stands up "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done." he pats Thorin on the arm and walks over to the living room.
Figuring that now is a good time, I follow after him, just to find him sitting in the chair where Gandalf was just moments ago, now having mysteriously disappeared, as he does.
I walk over to him, and sit back down in the armchair where I signed the contract.
"I've signed it, here you go." I hand him the folded parchment
It takes Balin a few moments to break out of though, but when he does he takes the contract and puts it away safely back in his coat.
"Thank ye, lassie. I still don't quite understand why ye want to help us, but as far as I know, it is an honourable deed."
"I thank you for taking me along, and it will be my pleasure to help you."
He answers with a troubled smile, and lets his eyes wander to the crackling fire. I follow his lead, and soon settle into a calm state of pondering everything that's already happened, and all that is to come.
No more than 5 minutes passed, and suddenly, out of the silence, I hear a deep humming.
Lifting my eyes from the fire, I see that the room has filled up with dwarves, most of them sitting down or leaning against a wall. Some only now walk in, remaining standing in the doorways.
The smoke from their pipes fills the room once more with a light mist, illuminated by the dim glow of the fire. More dwarves join in, the humming now seeping into the air, the mind, and the body, and I feel myself get lost in it. Then the singing begins. At first, it is only Thorin's voice.
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
Then the others join 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
And so it begins...
Hello again, :)
I truly hope you all liked that chapter, I must say I personally like this one quite a bit!
As always, comments are much, much appreciated, and so are kudos of course. This work has reached over 200 hits now, and although I'm not 100% sure what those are, it sounds very cool, so I'll take it!
If any of you have any suggestions about the story, whether that be something I could improve, or something you're simply curious about, please do say so, I'd love to do the best job I can, and clarify whatever I can.
Just a small detail I would like to mention - I named this chapter after Sir Tolkien's song, sang by Bilbo in Rivendell in Fellowship of the Ring. Apart from it's connection with today's chapter, I think it's just quite beautiful, and an incredible band called Clamavi de Profundis has an extraordinary version of it on their channel, so I would highly recommend taking a listen if you find yourselves with the time and the right mood.
Once more, thank you so much for reading this story and coming along on the journey with all me and all the characters, it's a real honour :)
I'll see you next time, and I'm already looking forward to it!
-Nelly