Author's Note: I own nothing.

2 A Decision is Made

Belladonna Baggins was a respectable Hobbit. The only thing about her that made her relatives raise eyebrows was that she had reached the good middle age of fifty one and had yet to find the source of her Tuning. This was what Hobbits called the connection between souls that only sparked to life through song. She had heard him, though not as often as others heard their songs. Another oddity was he did not always sing in the common tongue. It was a low guttural language that she was not familiar with, but not without a sort of raw beauty to it. It was not any Elven tongue she knew for her mother had been an Elf Friend and taught her as much as she could before she could she passed.

It wasn't for lack of trying that Belladonna, just Bella to her few friends and many relatives in the Shire, had not yet found the source of her Tuning. She had traveled as far as the boarder of the Shire in search of what the strange language might be. But no one seemed to know anything about that kind of language. After a long time searching she had gone back to Bag End doing her best not to feel defeated, she had an aging father to care for. Once he'd passed though she had not gone back out on her search. She had duties in Hobbiton. The Baggins had long held the distinction as one of the first families to settle Hobbiton. So Bella had settled down and silently despaired of ever finding her Tuning. Not everyone did after all, and they still managed happy lives, could even adopt in time. That thought kept her going until the old man, Gandalf the Grey showed up on her doorstep looking to share in an adventure. Somehow that lead to thirteen dwarves on her doorstep looking for a burglar, something they would not find in Bag End no matter how Gandalf argued that Bella was what he said.

"When did lace doilies and your mothers dishes become so important to you! I recall a young Hobbit who wanted nothing more than to see the world, to find out what lay beyond the boarders of the Shire. To see what songs could be sung in the world."

"That was a long time ago Gandalf! I am a Baggins of Bag End and I have duties here! I can't just run off on an adventure." She knew she was grasping at straws. She wanted to go. She was desperately curious. The dwarf Gandalf had called Bifur spoke the language she'd been looking for so long. In fact it seemed to be the only language he spoke. But it was the first time in years she'd had a glimmer of hope that maybe she could chase down the source of her tuning. Gandalf shook his head at her.

"The Bella Baggins I knew would not have given up so easily." He admonished. Bella shook her head and walked away from him down the hall, away from the dwarves and into her own room. She still had the contract in her hand. She glanced down at it. There was a blank place labeled for the burglar. All the other Dwarves had signed. How long had Gandalf been planning this? She sighed. It didn't matter now, she wasn't going that was decided. She jumped slightly as a voice echoed in her mind.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,

Through dungeons deep and caverns old.

We must away ere break of day.

To find our long forgotten gold.

It had been over a month since she'd heard that voice echoing in her mind. She closed her eyes as her resolve weakened. He was out there somewhere, maybe one of the company even knew him. She shook her head, the world was large, too large for such a coincidence. She stepped over to the door of her room to close it completely, shut out whatever noise the dwarves were making and listen to the song in her mind but as she did she heard something.

The pines were roaring on the heights,

The winds were moaning in the night.

Bella froze as though turned to stone. The voices echoing from the parlor were singing the same song as the voice in her head, in time with the voice. Silent as a mouse she slipped from her room back down the hall. When she reached the door and peeked around it all of the dwarves were singing. There was no way to tell who the voice belonged to but in her heart she knew it was one of the people in this room. One of the people going on a quest to kill a fire drake and reclaim an ancient kingdom in the morning. She didn't see Gandalf spot her as she scanned the room, the song echoing through the halls of Bag End. Gandalf suppressed a smile as she again disappeared from the room. He was wholly unsurprised when she again reappeared in a few minutes with the contract in one hand, and another slip of paper in the other hand. Balin spotted her first and raised an eyebrow as she stepped over him.

"I will sign this contract and accompany you on this quest, though I make no assumptions that I am up to the task of facing a dragon I will try. My only condition is that you sign this." She said holding out a much smaller piece of paper. Balin fixed a pair of spectacles to his nose and glanced over the page.

" 'I, Belladonna Baggins, being of sound mind and body, do hereby state that I have left on a trip with a company to the East. Though I fully intend to return, should the worst occur I leave my estate and all included, to my cousin Drogo Baggins. Under no circumstances are any of my possessions to be passed to my relations in the Sackville-Baggin's.' We all have relations like that lassie." Balin said an amused glint in his eyes. "This all seems to be in order. You have a quill?" He asked and she nodded producing a quill and capped ink pot from her apron pocket. He notarized her makeshift Will, she signed it then the contract. Thorin rolled his eyes but stepped forward to sign as witness on her Will. When that was done the company cheered. Thorin shook his head.

"We set out at first light, we should all get some sleep." He said and the Dwarves nodded.

"There are quite a few spare rooms but a few of you may have to double up." Bella said looking slightly resigned.

Thorin blinked at her. He hadn't been expecting that, he'd expected to need to lead the company through the small town back to the inn for the night. It took some time for them to all get settled Thorin took the last room, the one right next to what had to be the Hobbit's room. She sighed, he frowned.

"Why did you choose to help us?" He asked her straight out. He didn't have much experience talking to many women. Dwarven women were rare, only one in every three dwarves born were women. He was lucky enough to have a sister, Dis who was also mother of both Fili and Kili. Perhaps she would have a girl next, if she allowed for it. He wasn't quite sure she would with times being what they were. He'd not spoken to many human women, during his time living with men. He'd certainly never spoken to a Hobbit lass before but his experience was most beings responded well to bluntness, the exception of course being elves. But he hadn't had much truck with them since the fall of Erebor. She shook her head, glancing at him then back down the hall, concern in her eyes.

"I would be lying if I said I really knew why I changed my mind." She said it almost quietly but shook her head and turned, vanishing into her room. He shook his head. She was from a peaceful people, a peaceful land. They should not be bringing her along on this quest but Balin, his longtime friend and adviser, agreed with Gandalf's plan. If they were to pull it off they needed her, though apparently even she doubted her abilities in this. He shook his head again slipping into the room he was using for the night. He needed what sleep he could get. It would be a long while before he could sleep in a bed again.