A/N: I am SO SORRY! Life unfortuantly, got in the way to me posting, but I have been writing and devloping this story. As a result, I have redone the profile and the first chapter. If you want to go back at take a look at those, some things have been changed. And I will try to keep up with semi-regual updates as much as I can. Thank you for being understanding with me and have fun with reading!

Chapter 2

Before Gandalf had a moment to continue, Thorin came and walked around me as he did to Bilbo. I stood my ground and held my head high. "What is you weapon of choice?" he asked gruffly. "Axe or sword?"

I smiled softly at him. "I am proficient in most weaponry, but I prefer the sword as well as the bow."

Thorin's eye twitched when I mentioned archery, but he continued. "Have you done much fighting?" I gave him a solemn look and gave a firm nod. He gave me another look over. "Where are your weapons?"

I smirked at him before quickly taking out one of my hidden blades and held the point to his throat. Everyone took a step forward but Gandalf and Bilbo; Bilbo taking a step back, and Gandalf staying where he was. I continued to smirk at him as I put the dagger away in my boot. "I can assure you that I have weapons. My larger weapons are with my steed Shathûr."

Thorin raised a thick eyebrow in question. "Interesting name for a steed."

I simply gave a soft fond smile. "I heard it once before and I rather liked it."

Thorin gazed at me for a second more before nodding and moving into the dining room. Everyone sat back around the table and Thorin got some food. I leaned against the wall between Thorin and Gandalf. Then the questions began.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin, a white haired dwarf with a long beard, asked.

"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms," Thorin replied, and all the dwarves expressed their joy at this news.

"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin, a bald warrior with tattoos on his head, asked, silencing the murmurs. "Is Dain with us?"

Thorin put his spoon down and I saw him sigh before answering. "They will not come. They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

Bilbo caught the tail end of what was said. "You're going on a quest?"

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf requested. Bilbo obliges by bringing over another candle as Gandalf spreads out a small map. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo reads off the map.

"Aye. Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time," Gloin, a red haired dwarf, says and some of the others groan as he speaks.

"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," Oin, an older dwarf that needs an ear horn to hear, explains.

My grip on my forearm tightens at the mention of the beast and I closed my eyes to keep the memories of that night from taking over. By doing that, I missed two calculating gazes that were turned my way. I had tuned out most of the conversation, trying to keep the memories at bay, until Ori, the youngest dwarf, stood up.

"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!" he shouts.

Dori, a dwarf with white hair and several braids, pulls him down. "Sit down!" While his brother, Nori, a dwarf with high brown hair, encouraged him.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest," Balin spoke up. This caused most of the company to lash out at Balin, until the blonde dwarf, Fili, spoke up.

"We may be few in number. But we're fighters, all of us! To the last dwarf!" he proclaimed with a hit to the table.

"And you forget we have a wizard in our company," Kili, a black haired dwarf with no beard, spoke, aiding his brothers cause. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."

Gandalf waved him off. "I would not say that, but Rhosal has."

I sent Gandalf a dark glare and he gave me one of his innocent smiles. He held up a candle as I opened up my vest to reveal my dark blue dragon scale armor corset. All of the dwarves turned to me in awe of the armor.

"Is that why they call you Dragonscale?" Bofur, the dwarf with brown hair and a strange hat, asked me. I simply nodded in response to him. I watched as Thorin's hand flexed like he wanted to reach out and touch it.

"How many then?" Dori asked me impatiently, and when I didn't answer, he got angry. "Go on, give us a number!" The company began to argue about the number, and it just got louder and louder. I squeezed my eyes shut to try and block out the flashes of the past. By doing that, I missed the look of concern Gandalf gave me as I held my head. Thorin must have seen it as it was his voice that quieted the rest of the company and stopped my headache.

"Shazara! If we have read these signs, do you think others will have read them too? Rumors 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. 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!" he finished, before sitting back down.

The dwarves began to cheer for the speech. Thorin then looked to me, and I could see concern in his eyes. I nodded to him in thanks.

"You forget the front gate is sealed," Balin reminded them. "There is no way into the mountain."

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said. Twiddling his fingers Gandalf produces an ornately wrought, dwarvish key.

Thorin looks at it in wonder. "How came you by this?"

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping," Gandalf informed him. He then hands the key to Thorin who looks at it in wonder while grasping it tight. "It is yours now."

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

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

"There's another way in!" Kili says excitedly, with a smirk.

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gandalf explains, sighing at the end. "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 strength, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and cleaver, I believe that it can be done."

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

"Hmm, a good one too," Bilbo agrees. "An expert, I'd imagine."

"And are you?" Oin asks. The other dwarves looking at him to answer.

"Am I what?" Bilbo replies confused.

I closed my eyes and sighed. 'Of course, Gandalf didn't tell him,' I thought in exasperation, pinching the bridge of my nose.

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

"M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life," Bilbo hurriedly says, finally realizing that they were talking about him.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins," Balin says nodding. "He's hardly burglar material."

Bilbo nods in agreement and Dwalin voices his agreement with his brother. "Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight no fend for themselves."

Bilbo nods again as the dwarves begin to argue again. I watched Gandalf grow angry with the arguments, and a darkness began to spread with his anger before he used a booming voice to silence them. He stood up quickly as he spoke. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!"

When the darkness did not recede, I cleared my throat loudly. "Gandalf." He turned towards me, still with the darkness around him. "Calm down sia thurirl (my friend)," I spoke firmly, with a slight growl.

The darkness receded and Gandalf sent a deep nod to me in thanks, one that I returned. Gandalf then turned to the rest of the company as if nothing happened. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if the choose. 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."

Gandalf then sat down and turned to Thorin. "You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him that appearances suggest, and he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know; including himself." He and Thorin shared a look. "You must trust me on this."

Thorin gazed at Gandalf for a moment before he answered. "Very well. We will do it your way." Bilbo started to protest as Thorin turned to Balin. "Give his the contract."

As Balin explained the contract to him, and Thorin shoved it to Bilbo to read, Thorin turned to me. "We did not know that you would be here, so we do not have another contract for you."

I shook my head. "There is no need for one. As Gandalf said, I am here at his request. I only wish to help in any way that I can."

Thorin nodded to me after a moment, and then leaned over to whisper to Gandalf. I turned away from the conversation to watch Bilbo pace while reading the contract he was given. He came to a part that was talking about injuries. When he asked about incineration, the poor hobbit started to get pale. Bofur was trying to be helpful by trying to explain Smaug to him, but it didn't help much. As soon as it seemed like Bilbo was going to be okay, he promptly passed out onto the floor.

I felt slightly bad for the poor creature. The Shire has been peaceful for ages, and he is used to the quiet life, not danger and death. I helped Gandalf move him to one of the sitting rooms. I warmed up some tea that was made and gave him a cup as he came to. He gave me a weak smile and thanked me. Leaving Gandalf to talk to him, I passed by Thorin and Balin in the hallway. I bowed slightly before going into one of the other rooms to sit.