The day was unusually fair in the small village of Bree on the eastern border of the Shire. A small, lithe figure clothed and cloaked all in grey wended her way through the winding streets toward her destination, musing to herself that the day's beauty was slightly ironic considering that she was on her way to meet with Gandalf the Grey, who some call 'Stormcrow.' Still, she basked in the light and heat of the sun as it beat down upon her dark, uncovered hair.

Upon arriving at the Inn of the Prancing Pony, the elleth - for she was clearly no daughter of Men, despite being road-weary and travel-worn - removed her cloak and her pack, hanging the former on a peg by the door and leaving the latter on the floor below. Spying the tall, grey-robed figure of the Wizard in question, the elleth made her way to his table with a smile on her face.

"Mithrandir," she greeted him, gesturing respectfully, "el sila eren lu e-govenned vin."

"Rána Linn!" the tall Wizard stood and clasped the elleth in a brief embrace. "How was your journey?"

"Tiresome, Gandalf, and surprisingly quite dusty," answered Rána - for so the elleth was named - seating herself at Gandalf's table. "We will soon again be in need of rain, though I imagine that many will even then lament the weather of the world." She shook her head slightly. "But you did not, I think, summon me all this way from my father's house to speak only of the weather, my friend."

"Perceptive as always, my dear," Gandalf murmured before straightening in his seat, his countenance grave." "No, I did not."

"As I thought." Rána nodded. "Have you eaten yet? Come, let us break bread while we speak of weighty matters."

Gandalf acquiesced, and he waited for their food and drink to arrive before he began to speak. "Rána, my dear, I have quite a large favor to ask of you."

The elleth cocked her head to one side, her eyes glinting with fond amusement. "Yes, I assumed as such. Of course you know that I am always willing to help you, my old friend."

He raised his hand, cutting her off before she could say anything else. "If you would, I would like you to hear me out fully before you make your decision, for it is not one to be made lightly." She nodded, beginning to eat her stew, and he continued. "I am looking for someone to join a quest that I am helping to organize. The leader of the company has finally gathered all his companions, but I feel that you would be an undeniable asset to his mission. With this in mind, I would ask that you join us in our journey."

Rána's hazel-grey eyes narrowed at the Wizard as she leaned forward, folding her arms on top of the table. "Alright, Gandalf, leave your riddles for now and speak plainly. Of what quest do you speak?"

The gaze of the Grey Wizard sharpened, and his voice was stern and unwavering as he answered her. "I speak, my dear, of the Quest for Erebor, led by Thorin Oakenshield, last true heir to the kingship of the Dwarves."

Her eyes grew wide, and she leaned back in her seat, uncrossing her arms. Picking up her glass of wine, she took a long drink before setting it back down. "Erebor, Gandalf? You're asking me to take on a dragon?"

"No, no, of course not," Gandalf assured her. "Thorin has no intention to fight the dragon. No, his plan involves much more stealth than that. In fact, after I leave this meeting with you, I will be on my way to Hobbiton to obtain a burglar for the Company."

The elleth's stare grew considering, and she once more crossed her arms over her chest in contemplation. "So, that's Oakenshield's play? He would steal back the Arkenstone from the dragon's hoard and claim the kingship? Then what, will he unite the seven armies of the Dwarves and lead them against the dragon?"

Gandalf tilted his head back and forth. "More or less, yes. At least, that is the plan."

The words 'for now' remained unspoken between the two friends, for Rána knew all too well how quickly such plans could change when faced with such a variable as a live dragon.

"What then would you have me do, Mithrandir?" she questioned him. "If you employ a Hobbit as this Company's burglar - and I truly do wish you all the luck in the world with that - what role could I possibly play in this Company of Dwarves?"

The Wizard hesitated, a rare event indeed, and Rána's brow furrowed in something akin to worry. "To be completely truthful, my dear, I hardly know. All I know is this, that when I consider this Company, when I think on the task ahead of them, I know somehow, in my heart, that you are necessary, vital even, to the success of this Quest."

Reaching for her wine, the elleth raised the glass to her lips and took another long sip. She closed her eyes and began listing in her mind all the things that could go wrong, as well as all the reasons she could refuse Gandalf's request. Both lists were lengthy, yet somehow, when she opened her eyes again, Rána found herself saying, "When and where shall I meet this Company?"

He let out a small, nearly-unnoticed sigh of relief. "We will convene in Hobbiton at Bag End, the home of our burglar. You should meet us there in a fortnight."

Rána's brow furrowed. "I thought you had yet to obtain a burglar?"

Gandalf's blue eyes twinkled merrily. "Why, my dear Rána, of course Bilbo Baggins will agree to be our burglar!"

Glossary of Unfamiliar Terms:

elleth

Sindarin for "female Elf" (sg.)

Mithrandir

Elvish name for Gandalf the Grey, the Wandering Wizard, (lit.) "Grey Pilgrim"

El sila eren lu e-govenned vin.

Sindarin for "A star shines upon the hour of our meeting."

Rána

Quenya for "Moon," (lit.) "Wanderer"

I know, I know; this chapter is shamefully overdue, and it's not even that long. But it's here now, and I hope it was worth the wait! The next several chapters should come much easier since I already have them mostly written out. They could stand some polishing, but that shouldn't take too much effort. I got some inspiration after going back and having a marathon of both extended trilogies over the past couple weeks, so hopefully I'll get this book and at least its sequel finished without another long hiatus. Thank you for your patience in waiting so long for this chapter! Next up is Rána meeting the Company in Bag End, so that chapter promises to be much longer. Until next time!