Now the real deal happens. The part I have been racing to show you.
Chapter 7
"He is here."
As Gandalf went to the front door, all the other dwarves following at once in complete silence for the first time this evening, Kyle wondered about this guest at the door, who obviously had quite a powerful effect on all the dwarves, including Gandalf. "Just the one," the wizard had told him. Who was this 'one' that they had all waited for? Kyle exchanged a frown with Bilbo, and he, the hobbit, and his sisters trailed after the bunch, hanging back from view as they watched Gandalf open the round front door of Bag End.
"Gandalf," a low, deep voice greeted. When the newcomer entered the hole with purposeful footsteps, all three siblings' breath caught at the very sight and sound of this particular dwarf. He was a tall dwarf with a broad figure clothed in silver chest armor over midnight blue fabric, a long dark leather coat collared with thick fur, black fingerless gloves patched with silver gauntlets, steel-toed boots, and a silver belt crest representing a certain sigil of high value and importance. He had a mane of raven black hair with silver streaks, a short black beard framing his rough but refined features, and deep blue eyes sharp and hard as iron, but luring and bright like fire.
He had deep, forbidding presence that sent a tremor in mind and body, making him singularly, dwarves and humans aside, the most fearsome and majestic person the Dainson children had ever seen in their lives.
"I thought you said this place would be easy to find," the black-haired dwarf spoke to Gandalf, while unclipping his traveling cloak. All the dwarves bowed their head silently in his presence. "I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all if had not been for that mark on the door."
"Mark?!" Bilbo had pushed through the crowd, past the children, and finally into the open, apparently didn't notice the dwarf yet when he looked at Gandalf accusingly. "There's no mark on that door! It was painted a week ago!"
Yeah, and I helped, thought Kyle, though he was surprised at the mention of the mark, and he knew Maia and Lori felt the same. The mark on the door...he knew he had seen that blue, glowing rune on the door at the end of today (Maia had claimed she had seen it when helping Bilbo carry back the groceries), but when they pointed it out to Bilbo, the hobbit made no sign of acknowledging or seeing the strange mark at all. It was weird.
"There is a mark," confirmed Gandalf, looking a little apologetic. "I put it there myself."
That explains everything. While Gandalf spoke, however, Kyle caught a momentary glimpse of the head dwarf's proud, composed figure melting into a warm smile, while handing his cloak to Kili. The young dwarf smiled back and dutifully took the cloak, before the two clutched arms for a long moment. When Fili appeared from behind his brother, his expression was composed but his eyes were happy. He then gave a small smile and bowed his head to the black haired dwarf, whom nodded in return.
Before Kyle could dwell on this exchange, Gandalf spoke up, "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield."
Even the name itself held an air of majesty. The hobbit turned to see whom the wizard gestured to, his frown wavering in surprise as the dwarf turned to face him, the stern, hardened look reclaimed as if he had never smiled before. "So," Thorin Oakenshield said, looming above the halfing by a whole foot, "this is the hobbit."
Bilbo swallowed. Out of all the dwarves he had met at the door, this one intimidated him the most. He was, without doubt, their leader.
It didn't help that the dwarf looked down on him, sizing him up, like a lion above a mouse. Then he slowly started circling him. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?" Bilbo was surprised by that question.
"Axe or sword?" Thorin continued, finally facing the hobbit with a narrowed gaze. "What's your weapon of choice?"
"Weapon of-Ahem!" Bilbo cleared his throat to cover his nervous laugh and said more formally, trying not to seem shaken, "Well, I do have some skill at Conkers, if you must know...but I fail to see...why that's irrelevant."
Thorin nodded and glanced back at his companions. "Thought as much," he affirmed, before eying Bilbo with a cold smirk. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." The dwarves chuckled behind him, as if in agreement, as Thorin turned to leave the room, Bilbo looking confused and hurt in the spot, Gandalf sighing irritably.
It was when Dwalin, Dori, and Ori stepped aside for Thorin that the leader's blue eyes finally noticed the three young humans at present. His smirk disappeared instantly and eyes narrowed dangerously. Kyle tensed up, forcing himself to meet this dwarf's dark glare, while Maia pulled a trembling Lori in between them, protectively.
"Gandalf, what is the meaning of this?" Thorin finally spoke, his eyes still fixed on all three siblings huddled together, who were all rooted on the spot like frightened prey. His velvet voice was tight. "I did not recall you saying we were acquainting with more than one member of this house."
"Ah, yes," Gandalf said behind him, bending over to see through the entrance. "It was quite a pleasant surprise for me, as well. Apparently, you and your company aren't the only guests in Master Baggins' home."
Kyle felt all eyes toward them, including a nervous looking Bilbo. Maia shifted uncomfortably behind him.
"You stay in the hobbit's hole, yet you are obviously not of the same race," said Thorin, who had already observed their PJs and socks. His eyes met Lori's, who looked away instantly and hid her face in Maia's hip, too shy to hold his steely gaze for more than a second. "Who are you and what business has the race of Men in a village of halfings?" he addressed either Maia or Kyle, being the two oldest.
Maia looked hesitant, so Kyle spoke first, not about to let this dwarf shake him. "I'm Kyle," he said. "Kyle Dainson. These are my sisters, Maia and Lori." He nodded toward one before the other. "We're here because, um...because we were lost and-and Bilbo over there was the only one around here willing to take us in. Temporarily, anyway," he added quickly, glancing over at Bilbo, and then at Gandalf. "That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about," he told the wizard. "We were staying here because we have no idea how to get back home. Back to where we came from."
"And where is it that you and your kin come from, Master Dainson?" asked Thorin. "Are you not of the Shire? Where are the rest of your kin?" Where are your parents? was the real unspoken question. He and Kyle were the same height (if the boy was not taller by half an inch), but mentally his dwarf loomed like a giant with his words and stoic presence. Even more so than Dwalin.
"No, not really," Kyle said hesitantly. He mentally cursed his own stammering while trying to search for a good answer. "We, um-we-" He wasn't sure if now was the right time to admit that he and his sisters were from a different world. Bilbo might have quickly gotten over his skepticism about their state-home Texas...but the dwarves weren't Bilbo.
"It's complicated," Maia finally said, bring Thorin's attention to her. Her voice was steady, but it barely held down the nervous shrill. "And what about you?" she dared to ask, gathering her courage and putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. "What are you and your friends doing in Hobbiton, coming out of nowhere and barging in like the army stopped by?"
There was an amused chuckle from Gandalf, and even a few dwarves coughed to hide a snort. Thorin raised an eyebrow at Maia, otherwise unmoved. "It's complicated," he said softly, but not losing its former suspicion. Finally, Thorin stepped forward and the siblings instinctively stepped aside as the head dwarf walked passed them, his company following close behind (Fili giving Maia a quick eye-blinking glance before continuing). "If you wish to know, stay awake and listen carefully, but keep out of sight. I care not."
Soon Maia, Kyle, Lori, Bilbo, and Gandalf were the only ones near the doorway as the dwarves made their way into the dining room. Lori left Maia's side and scrambled into Bilbo's embrace.
"What the hell just happened?" Kyle managed to say.
"I apologize for that untidy introduction," Gandalf told them all, still tight from before. "Dwarves can be a merry gathering, but they can also be suspicious of those unfamiliar of their knowledge. Most especially of those from a race outside of their own. Thorin Oakenshield with more reason than most."
"Ya think?" stated Kyle. Maia smirked in agreement. "The guy's a real douche."
"All the same-and mind your tongue, young man," Gandalf said, giving a Kyle a look, "it won't due to be insulting folk before you get a chance to truly know them-we should follow them. The meeting will have started by now."
"Wait, Gandalf!" protested Bilbo, still clutching Lori and stroking her curls. "I need to-I mean, the Dainsons here need to-We need to talk to you about their situation!"
"Yes, yes, I know! We most certainly have some important things to discuss about these youngsters!" Gandalf agreed, winking at the little girl who peered up at the wizard. "My curiosity is already taking a toll, but I am afraid I have to ask that you wait just a little longer. The dwarves cannot start the meeting without me, and if you still wish to know the purpose of our arrival, I suggest the four of you come and hear this out. When everything is settled, I will hear your story after. I give you my word on this, but I ask that you stall a little longer. Can you do that?"
The wizard reminded them a little of their grandparents, either one asking the children to be patient before rushing something. There was little left to argue about, but then again, they really would like to know about the dwarves' unexpected arrival.
"Alright, fine," Maia sighed, while Kyle muttered, "Whatever," and Lori piped, "Okay!"
"What news from the meeting of Ered Luin?" asked Balin to Thorin, who slowly sipping the soup Bombur had recently served. All thirteen dwarves were gathered back the dining table, the food all gone and the business getting started. "Did they all come?"
"Aye," confirmed Thorin. "Envoys from all seven kingdoms." The dwarves cheered, while Thorin sipped his ale in satisfaction.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say?" Dwalin spoke up, his hardened gaze meeting Thorin's. "Is Dain with us?"
Thorin put down his spoon and sighed tiredly. "They will not come," he said grimly. The dwarves groaned in disappointment, while Dwalin rolled his eyes, not looking too surprised, and Balin clasped his hands together, sighing heavily.
"They say that this quest is ours," he continued reluctantly, meeting all their stares, "and ours alone."
Bilbo, who was standing in the background with Maia, Kyle, and Lori (who was in Maia's arms, balanced on her big sister's hip), decided to choose this moment to speak, "You're going on a quest?"
Thorin stiffened and put down the ale he drank after noticing Bilbo and the young human siblings at present. Gandalf cleared his throat noisily and spoke, "Bilbo, my dear fellow! Maia, Kyle, Lori..." He nodded to them, making it clear that they were welcome to be here. "Let us have a little more light." Bilbo nodded and went to fetch one while Gandalf pulled out a rolled up parchment from his side pouch. Kyle, Maia, and Lori looked at it, curiously.
"Far to the East, over ranges and rivers," began Gandalf, unrolling the parchment, "beyond woodlands and wastelands..." He spread out the parchment on the table before Thorin, "...lies a single solitary peak."
The parchment turned out to be a map, much like Bilbo's collection, but with different imprinting style. The surface was golden and aged, labeled with a paragraph of ancient runes beneath a handwritten title that read, "The Desolation of Smaug." The spot were Gandalf tapped his finger was an inked drawing of a mountain connected with a long river and the small figure flying above the mountain's apex looked like a dragon.
"'The Lonely Mountain,'" Maia read quietly, the moment Bilbo came back with a lit candle and placed it next to the map. Memories of the fiery void flashed in her mind briefly. Mountain...desolation...fire...home...
"Aye," the red-haired dwarf called Gloin grunted proudly. "Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time."
Gandalf pulled out his pipe and with a wave of his index finger, a little flame appeared to light it. Lori blinked at him over Maia's shoulder. This was the first time she was seeing him do magic.
"Ravens were seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold," explained Oin. "'When the birds of Yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast with end.'"
The Dainsons all looked up at once. Bilbo, who had wandered off in the background, whipped around in attention.
"Wait...beast?" Kyle said, eyes widening at Oin, before looking at Gandalf in disbelief, who had the pipe in his mouth attentively, eyes flickering to the hobbit.
"Uh, what beast?" Bilbo asked weakly.
"Well, that would be reference to Smaug the Terrible," Bofur explained, casually leaning back while smoking his pipe. "Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age." The dwarves were all intense and blazing at the mention of Smaug. The elders' eyes looked haunted by memories while the young ones-Fili, Kili, and Ori-were hardened with determination. Maia glanced back down at the map and found the little dragon.
Smaug, she thought. Red scales...fire...desolation...mountain...
"Airborne fire-breather," continued Bofur, unswayed by the heavy air, "teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks! Extremely fond of precious metal-"
"Yes, I know what a dragon is," interrupted Bilbo, fingers intwining nervously.
"A dragon!" whispered Kyle in awe, before breathing a quiet laugh of amazement. He was a fan of dragons. It didn't matter if everyone else didn't share his excitement; there was a real, live dragon out there.
Ori suddenly shot up to his feet, startling his older brother, Dori. "I'm not afraid," he announced, looking so defiant it looked more sweet than bold. "I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of the dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!"
While Maia and Kyle smiled, Lori giggling, the dwarves cheered for him, Nori giving his little brother a fist-pumping praise while Dori grabbed the young dwarf's arm. "Sit down," he scolded, yanking Ori back into his seat.
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin said in a diplomatic tone, "but we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best," he added, begrudgingly, "nor brightest."
Ooh, way to throw it out there, white beard! Maia winced inwardly as the dwarves started murmuring at once, while Nori shouted out, "Here, who're you calling dim?"
"What did he say?" Oin asked, raising his trumpet.
"We may be few in number," Fili's bold voice broke through the arguments, and Maia looked up in surprise to see the blond dwarf's unwavering confidence, "but we're fighters! All of us, to the last dwarf!" He slapped his hand on the table, adding strength to his speech.
"And you forget we have a wizard in our company," Kili added with naked enthusiasm, the way his his brown eyes sparkled reminding Maia of Lori on a happy day. "Gandalf would have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!"
Gandalf was completely taken off guard by this. "Oh, well, no," he quickly said, waving his pipe in denial. "I wouldn't say-"
"How many, then?"
"What?" Gandalf stopped, finding the source of the question.
"Well, how many dragons have you killed?" Dori asked again. His question made all the dwarves look at Gandalf with curiosity, expectancy. Even Thorin.
None, Maia could just tell by the way Gandalf started coughing his smoke silently, loss for words. She tried not to laugh as the look on his face, though she could hear Kyle mouthing, "Seriously?"
"Go on," Dori said more loudly. "give us a number!" Then, all at once, the table of dwarves erupted into a mixture of loud arguing and shouting while standing out of their chairs, already making wages on how many dragons the gray wizard killed. Maia pulled slightly away, holding Lori away from the chaos, while Bilbo tried and failed to get everyone to settle down, "Excuse me. Please..."
"Hey, guys, cool it, will ya?" shouted Kyle, but his cracking voice was drowned out by the dwarves' gruffer voices. "Guys! C'mon!"
"SHAZARA!"* Thorin bellowed as he stood up abruptly. Instantly, all the dwarves plopped back down in their seats, silenced by their great leader. Even Kyle straightened and stared at Thorin with his mouth closed; Maia felt her bones tremble, and Lori stiffened in her arms, but the little girl was also peering at Thorin with wide brown eyes beneath her hair strands.
Thorin stood tall and mighty as he looked all his fellow dwarves in the eye. "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 sixty years."
Sixty years? That long? Maia shared an astonished look with Kyle.
"Eyes look to the East, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk," Thorin said. "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?"
The dwarves started cheering from their leader's speech, as Thorin shouted out with pumping fists, "DU BEKAR! DU BEKAR!"* It was then Maia noticed the silver ring on his hand.
"You forget the front gate is sealed," Balin said loudly, once all had settled down. "There is no way into the mountain."
The joy was quickly diminished from the dwarves' faces. If she didn't know any better, Maia would think Balin didn't share the confidence everyone else did, whatever this whole deal with "Erebor" was about, and he seemed like a dwarf of reason.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," replied Gandalf. While he spoke, rolling out of his sleeve revealed a key. It looked old, made of solid iron with tiny runes along its angular crevices. Its metal flashed brightly into the light for all to witness. The key was beautiful, like an archeological finding of something grand and ancient.
Thorin stared at the key, completely in awe. A flash of emotion appeared in his eyes, so quickly Maia almost missed it. "How came you by this?" he whispered hoarsely. The key clearly held high significance to the dwarf leader.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain," Gandalf said gently, "for safe keeping." Thorin's expression wavered at the mention of his father's name. Maia could sympathize; thinking about her own father hurt as well. She glanced at Kyle and, as expected, had his lips pressed in a thin line, thinking the same thing.
Then Gandalf held out the key. "It is yours now."
When the key was passed on to Thorin, the way the dwarves looked on with silence and wonder, like the whole room had held its breath for this moment, Maia had a feeling that they were all witnessing the passing of a family heirloom. Thorin held the key delicately at first, observing its fine craft with a thoughtful expression, before gripping his father's key more tightly as though he were afraid it would slip through his fingers.
"Pretty," whispered Lori in Maia's ear, holding out her teddy bear like he would see better.
"If there is a key," Fili said softly, and Maia could see he looked equally as thoughtfully with a spark of hope in his blue eyes as glanced from Thorin to Gandalf, "there must be a door."
Gandalf nodded. "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," he said, placing his pipe handle upon the foreign letters at the far side.
Kili took his brother's shoulder, smiling brightly. "There's another way in," he murmured, excitedly. Fili smiled at his brother. Maia smiled, too. A door in a mountain? That ought to look interesting, especially after seeing multiple doors in grassy hillsides first.
"Well, if we can find it," claimed Gandalf to Kili, "but dwarf doors are invisible when closed." All groaned softly ("Invisible?" Lori whispered excitedly. "Can we be invisible, too?") and Gandalf sighed, refocusing on the map. "The answer lies somewhere hidden in this map and I do not have the skill to find it, but..." He halted everyone's disappointed with a more positive note, "There are others in Middle Earth who can."
Thorin gave the wizard a look.
"The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage..." Gandalf glanced at Bilbo, who was already fascinated by the map, the key, and this whole gathering. Maia frowned, not missing the twinkle in the wizard's eye; why was Gandalf looking at him like that? Was she missing something?
"But if we are careful and clever," Gandalf returned to the dwarves, "I believe that it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori said.
"Hm, a good one, too!" Bilbo was observing the map closely, when he straightened up, fingering his straps in agreement. "An expert, I'd imagine!"
"And are you?" Oin said loudly.
Bilbo, confused, looked over his shoulder, then at Kyle, who looked equally as lost and shrugged, eyes saying, 'Don't look at me.' Realization then dawned on Maia. Oh, God.
"Am I what?" Bilbo inquired to Oin.
Oin apparently didn't hear Bilbo's question. "He said he's an expert! Heh hey!" The dwarves laughed at Oin miscommunication.
Bilbo, however, drew back, shaking his head. "What, me? No! No, no, no, no, no," he squeaked. "I-I'm not a burglar! I have never stolen a thing in my life!"
Maia believed it. To her, burglars were more like bank robbers and people who B & E in houses at night. And she wasn't the only one, as Balin spoke up, "I'm afraid I would have agree with Master Baggins. He's hardly burglar material."
Bilbo nodded at Balin for making a clear point.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," agreed Dwalin, gruffly eying at Bilbo's small form.
"Oh, he's fine," Kili said loudly, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the dwarves' rising voices, either arguing or laughing at the idea of a hobbit being their burglar. Gandalf was looking at them, his face slowly darkening.
"Bilbo's not that bad," protested Kyle, trying to catch anyone's attention. "We played hide-and-seek with the guy and he always-"
"Kyle, you're not helping," muttered Bilbo, tugging the boy's arm. It was true, though. During their stay here, Lori had always begged everyone, including Bilbo, to play hide-and-seek with her, since Bag End was a palace full of hiding places. Kyle and Maia would participate, even though their larger forms gave much away, but Bilbo would always managed to sneak up on them when he found them. That hobbit's footsteps were like cat-steps, almost completely silent. Even when they weren't playing hide-and-seek, Mr. Baggins would suddenly appear by Maia's side and scare the hay out of her.
"Enough!" Gandalf boomed. As the wizard stood, the room grew heavy with a growing black void that darkened the room, flickering the candle, overwhelming the courage of everyone in the room. The dwarves silenced and shrunk back in alarm, even Thorin flinched. Bilbo stepped back, cautiously. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!"
Maia, Kyle, and Lori seemed to have gotten the worst of it, even though it wasn't directed at them. They had huddled together, feeling the major chill and hectic vertigo shaking their bodies to the core from the rising tide of darkness. It lit a spark of terror in their chests that made them all gasp at once, as though physically punched, Gandalf's anger becoming a living thing. It was magic. Big time.
Lori whimpered slightly and Kyle gasped, "Dude!" when the magic finally drained away. Maia let out the breath she held, trying to stop her shaking. Whatever emotional trick Gandalf pulled had been totally unnecessary!
When Gandalf calmed, muttering a quick apology to the Dainsons, he continued in a more formal tone, "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 all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. Bilbo opened his mouth, but Gandalf lowered himself to his seat and faced Thorin, who looked less than pleased. "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," he said sternly, as most of the dwarves either gave Gandalf the stink-eye or were shaking their heads hopelessly.
Maia met Fili's gaze. He and his brother didn't look upset. They fidgeted uneasily in their seats, not knowing how to react at all for the sake of their companions.
Gandalf then glanced at Bilbo. "Including himself," he murmured.
Bilbo blinked. Thorin was still glaring at Gandalf, not acknowledging the hobbit in any way. Gandalf didn't break his gaze when he said to Thorin in a serious tone, "You must trust me on this."
Maia's gaze fell back on the map. The images and voices from her nightmares...from the day she, Kyle, and Lori woke up in the Shire...replayed in her memories, trying to ignore the terror that fiery phantom eye resurrected in her heart. Blackness became sparks of flames like fireworks, the air thunderous with loud, incomprehensible noise. Everything was white, gold, red, like fire. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. She was on fire. She couldn't feel her brother and sister with her anymore. She tried to scream for them, but her voice was lost in all the roaring noise of the racing void.
She saw a mountain...red scales...caves...desolation...a golden ring...and a white gem that shined like it contained a living galaxy...
The Heart of the Mountain...Home...Maia...Kyle...Lori...
...then came forth a large, flaming eye overwhelming her senses with such destructive power that scared her more than anything else. She screamed, waving her hands in front of her as if to fight off this monstrous force...
Mountain...red scales...caves...desolation...a golden ring...a white, swirling, frosty glow...
Heart of the Mountain, hissed the voice.
Home.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the mountain on the map. "Oh, my God, that's it!" she breathed in shock, but so quietly that only Lori and Kyle, who were still huddled with her, could hear.
"What?" Kyle looked at her with a startled frown.
Meanwhile, Thorin had looked like he wasn't going to budge...but the tension in his expression eased slightly when he finally said, "Very well. We'll do it your way." He turned to Balin. "Give him the contract."
"Oh, no, no, please!" Bilbo stammered as Balin dug for the contract.
It was so obvious! The images and voices they all had in their minds, ever since their sudden transportation from their dad's farmhouse to Middle Earth, must have been clues. Or something. It was weird and puzzling, and she hadn't known at the time about these random visions that burned into her mind like a bad movie, but now the answer was laid out on the table. It had to be their way to get home. It didn't make sense, but it was the only conclusion she could come up with.
"We're coming, too..."
Gandalf looked at her. "I beg your pardon, my dear?"
"We're coming, too!" Maia said in a stronger voice.
There was a stunned silence. Balin was the first to speak in a reasonable tone, "Miss Maia-"
"Look, I know this is coming out of nowhere," she cut him off, while putting Lori down, "but my brother, sister, and I are-well, we're trying to go home." She winced inwardly. Damn it! How am I gonna to explain this? "We kind of got here by accident and-look, it's gonna sound crazy to y'all, but...we're not from around here."
"Think we've already gathered that, lass," Nori commented, and the dwarves murmured in agreement.
"No, no, no," Kyle said quickly, "she means that we're really not from around. Like, at all."
"We-um..." All the dwarves' expressions slowly drew into puzzled or suspicious frowns, causing Maia to halt and swallow nervously. "Actually, um..." She turned to Gandalf. "Can we-can we go talk about this in private?"
"No!" Thorin turned to face her. His glare was so black that she wanted to shrink three times smaller. "Anything that concerns the interests of the quest should be heard by all. By me."
Since he put her in the spotlight, mercilessly so, Maia reminded herself that it was her own damn fault. She took a deep breath, like she would before singing a song. "Okay, fine. Since you asked so nicely...I believe that the mountain you're all talking about-the Lonely Mountain-might the place where my family and I can be able to get back home."
"Huh?" Kyle and Lori looked at her, dumbfounded. Everyone else was the same, looking completely lost.
"Remember how we got here?" she told her siblings, ignoring everyone else for the moment. "Remember the nightmares we got every night? We had the same dream, remember? The visions? The voices?"
"What is that lass blabbering about?" Oin said loudly, raising his ear trumpet. After that moment, Lori gasped in realization and Kyle's eyes widened. "Oh, my God!" he said, glancing at the map and then Maia, who nodded. "Son of a bitch!"
"Mind giving us some more details, Miss Dainson?" Dwalin demanded. "Any of you three?"
"It's alright, children," said Gandalf, putting a comforting hand on Maia's shoulder. "There's no need to be afraid. Tell us, where do you come from?"
"Texas," Lori said loudly.
"What?" Gandalf blinked. He clearly wasn't expecting that answer.
"We live in Texas," the little girl repeated innocently.
"There is no such place," growled Thorin, making the little girl shrink back. "Do you take us for fools?"
"It's from a different world," Kyle said, stepping in front of Lori. He met Thorin's icy glare without flinching. "We're from a different world. It's crazy shit, I know, but we come from a state called Texas, in a neighborhood near Houston. We were visiting our family's old farmhouse, and the next thing, my sisters and I were literally dropped off on The Hill near Hobbiton ten days ago. We still have no idea how or why, but all we care about is the 'how' so that we can get back home. Pronto!"
"Even if your story were true, boy," sneered Thorin, making Kyle bristle, "what possibly makes you think that Erebor is your salvation? Do you expect to find this Texas of yours inside the mountain?"
"No!" snapped Kyle. "Look, man, I don't know any more than you do about this whole two-worlds portal dilemma, but take a good look at us! Anyone! Do we look like typical Middle Earth citizens to you?" He looked around at the dwarves.
"The skull on your shirt is far from ordinary," Kili pointed out, and then shut his mouth when Thorin turned to give him a silencing look.
It was true; the Dainsons' strange clothing and slight Texan accents alone were quite the giveaway, but Thorin dismissed it. "It does not prove anything! For what reason should I be able to trust the word of children? Children of Men?"
"Thorin," warned Gandalf.
"Because they are telling the truth." It was Bilbo who spoke. Then he continued a little more firmly, standing beside Kyle and put a hand on the lad's clenched fist, "These children have been staying with me for nearly two weeks, and they have already shown me that they come from somewhere far beyond my understanding. If you want proof, they have it, and I can assure you that they are not untrustworthy...w-which is w-why I think you should take them under consideration," he stammered slightly, when meeting Thorin's gaze. "A-At the very least, I-I-I hope Gandalf would."
"This is most certainly unheard of," murmured Gandalf, smoking his pipe, thoughtfully, "but a subject that I cannot simply ignore. Perhaps, they could-"
"They will not come with us!" hissed Thorin, making everyone flinch. "Truth or no, they are children. I will not have them interfere with this quest based on a hunch. A hunch that only a lunatic would beget."
Maia went to stop Kyle before her brother attempted to get in Thorin's face. "Who're you calling a lunatic, jackass?" snarled Kyle, gray eyes blazing. Dwalin had stood up from his table suddenly, hands hovering over to his axes.
"Kyle, stop! Get a grip!" Maia shouted, and he reluctantly obeyed. When she turned around to face Thorin, there was calculating look in his motionless face. "Sorry about that! Listen, I don't care if y'all don't believe us, but your mountain is the only lead we've got now and we've pretty much got nowhere else to go! Bilbo's home is great, but we don't belong here!"
"This will not sway me, lass," whispered Thorin. "You will not be part of my company!"
"Fine, we won't be," snapped Maia, but then breathed through her nose before continuing more mildly, "It's like what Bilbo said. If Gandalf will consider it-" She met the wizard's eyes briefly, "-my siblings and I will go with him, not you. Think of it this way," she added, forcing herself to look at Thorin straight in the eye. "We're not part your company, just merely heading in the same direction at the same time for a different reason."
The company of dwarves all looked on, murmuring and nodding, clearly impressed by the young woman's wit. Even Balin raised his eyebrows, looking intrigued. Without looking away, Maia could have sworn she could hear Fili chuckling softly.
An unreadable light flickered in those darkened eyes, as Thorin observed her more thoughtfully. "You will be on your own," he said finally. "You will not rely on my kin for food or protection. Are you willing to take that risk with your younger kin?" He gestured to little Lori, who was watching the conversation innocently. "You are but a young woman, and you would bring children with you into danger with no weapons to defend yourself?"
"Quit calling us children," muttered Kyle behind her. "Sheesh!"
"Not if I can help it," Maia replied, "'cause I'll make sure there is no danger! Either way, we're sticking together. If we're gonna go home, we have to be together for that to happen. So yeah, I'm rolling my dice here."
Thorin raised his eyebrows at this expression, but didn't comment.
"If it would help," said Bilbo, uneasily, "I will be willing to-to think about this 'burglar business' if you would be willing to think about Maia's." Maia sent the hobbit a silent Thank you in her thoughts.
Thorin stared at Maia a moment longer. "Balin," he said finally, before turning away, "the contract."
"About time," Balin finally stood up with the folded parchment already in hand and held it out to show Bilbo. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
Thorin took it and pressed into Bilbo's hands. "Funeral arrangements?" the hobbit squeaked.
"That bad, huh?" Kyle mused, as Bilbo stepped into the hallway and unfolded the contract, which tumbled down past the halfling's waist. He snorted. "Man, is this a quest or a run for errands?"
When the Dainsons went to join Bilbo, Lori bending down to touch the bottom of the parchment, Thorin leaned close to Gandalf. "I cannot guarantee their safety," he warned softly.
"Understood," Gandalf replied.
The dwarf leaned in closer. "Nor will I be responsible for their fate," he whispered. Gandalf looked at Thorin, slightly startled and sad, but he nodded. "Agreed."
"Let's see," Bilbo mumbled, while reading the contract, Kyle and Maia reading a little bit over his head, "'Terms: cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one-fourteenth of total profit, if any.'" He nodded to himself. "Seems fair."
"So you get paid?" Kyle said. "Awesome! How much is one-fourteenth, though?"
"However much they have, I suppose," shrugged Bilbo, before continuing, "Eh 'present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations...'"
Gandalf turned sharply at the word. Lori tilted her head.
"'Evisceration...'" Frowning, Bilbo hastily flipped another fold and read silently. Then he turned to look at the company in disbelief, "'Incineration?'"
Both Maia and Kyle's jaws dropped, while Lori asked, "What's incin-cina-ration?" She managed to pronounce the word in her baby voice.
Bofur seemed to answer for her. "Oh, aye," he nodded. "He'll melt the flesh off your bones in a blink of eye." Lori squeaked in terror and hugged her teddy bear before charging back into Maia's safe arms.
Bilbo looked no better. His face had paled as he lowered the contract and looked ahead without seeing. "Huh," a small sound escaped him.
"You alright, laddie?" asked Balin, looking slightly sympathetic.
Bilbo leaned over on his knees. "Uh, yeah, I feel..." He took heavy breaths and straightened up. "Feel a bit faint."
Bofur stood up and continued cheerfully, "Think furnace with wings."
"Air, I-I-I need air..." croaked Bilbo, trying to breathe. The Dainsons looked at him with concern, but Bofur showed no mercy.
"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" Bofur said casually.
You're insane, Maia thought towards the smug Bofur, feeling sick to her stomach herself. She couldn't imagine what this dragon was capable of. It was easier to think about it when she still believed they were a myth.
"Hmmmm," Bilbo hummed, his face draining whiter, and Kyle held out his hands cautiously, "Hey, take it easy, man!"
"Mm-hmmmm," the hobbit straightened up, waving Kyle off. The moment Kyle dropped his hands, however, Bilbo said, "Nope," and his eyes rolled at the back of his head when fainted backward with a crash across the floor. Kyle yelped a curse, and the Dainsons surrounded the hobbit, kneeling around him while Gandalf stood up and grumbled, "Very helpful, Bofur!"
"This supposed to be your 'exercise of trust?'" Maia joked, while checking Bilbo's head for an injury.
"Oh, shut up!" mumbled Kyle.
To Be Continued….
Khuzdul Translation:
*Silence!
*To Arms! To Arms!
I enjoyed writing about this immensely, especially with Thorin involved now. He's always been such an intense character for me. I just saw Into the Woods today in theaters. Such a great musical! I loved the songs. There might be a possibility that I will eventually add one of the songs to feature in the story. Thanks for the reviews! I'm so thrilled that you're enjoying my characters! Until next time!