Here we are with Chapter 2 of Pure Heart.
Thank you all for the comments you have given me.
WriteWithFeelings: Thank you so much for the critique. I'll keep in mind to ask you for more advice to improve my writing and I am glad that you like it so far.
This is where Lily meets all of the dwarves, Gandalf, and the leader of the company, Thorin Oakenshield.
Chapter 2. The Need of a Burglar and the Contract
Dwarves.
They were raiding their kitchen. Lily mumbled to herself, counting how many were there as the dwarves were laughing and eating, telling each other stories as they were catching up.
"Twelve. Twelve dwarves." Lily said as Bilbo groaned, running his hand through his hair. Lily looks at her father and smirked slightly. "I thought you were smarter than this, dad." She said, earning a somewhat playful slap from Bilbo on her arm and she laughed. "It is not my fault! HE invited them here!" Bilbo said, pointing at the wizard that seemed to chuckled.
"Ah, you must be the Hobbit's daughter? I am Gandalf the Grey." The old wizard said, taking off his hat and bowed his head to her, which Lily bowed back. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Gandalf. My name is Lily. Lily Baggins."
Gandalf seemed to smile and he looks around, counting and naming the dwarves. "Let's see. Dwalin, Balin...Fili, Kili. Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifor, Bofur, Bombur...it seems we are one dwarf short." He said to himself, but Lily heard him.
"...thirteen is not really a lucky number." She said, earning a soft chuckle from the wizard.
"Indeed, it isn't...but that is about to change momentarily." He winked at her, obviously making Lily somewhat confused. She looks at the dwarves, who seemed to finish their entire cabinet of their food and she looks at her father "Eh, it was shopping day tomorrow, anyway." Lily shrugged, putting the basket down on a counter. Of course, when she turned around, she was stopped by two dwarves, who look alike, but one had blonde hair and had braids on his beard and the other dwarf seemed younger than the other one, and had black hair.
"Fili." The blonde dwarf said.
"And Kili." The black haired dwarf said after Fili spoken.
"At your service." They both said in sync, bowing. Lily was a bit surprise of their manners, but smiled somewhat and bowed back.
"Lily Baggins. At yours." She said, remembering how dwarves greet each other, saying 'at your service' when greeting either their kinds or other people on their journey. Fili seemed to smile and look up and down at her.
"I don't remember Hobbits being this tall, though, right brother?" Fili asked, looking at his older brother. Kili nods. "Oh, so you're both brothers?" Lily asked, now seeing the resemblance between the two. They both nodded, then Lily answered their question. "No, I'm not a Hobbit. My father adopted me years ago, so I'm the only human in Hobbiton, but no one treated me different here, so I'm equally treated right here in Hobbiton by the other hobbits." Lily said, making them both nod, now understanding the situation.
"At first, I thought you were his wife. The hobbit's, I mean." Kili said, making Lily jerk her head just a tad.
"No, I'm not." She said, and Kili held his hands up in defense. "I don't mean it that way, Miss Boggins." He said, making Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "...it's Baggins."
"Boggins."
"BAGGINS." Lily said, now realizing he was doing it on purpose. He just smiled innocently. She just shook her head, sighing a bit-
"That is MY GRANDMOTHER'S PLATES! THEY'RE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD!"
Lily jolted a bit, looking over to see her father trying to make the dwarves stop tossing the plates he had for many generations and Lily managed to duck before one hits her in the head and Gandalf ducked as well from the same one that tried to hit Lily. He then heard the door knocked beyond from the laughter of the dwarves.
"He is here."
Lily looks at Gandalf. "Who is here?" He simply smiled and leads her to the door and opened the door. It was another dwarf, but this one was different from the others as he had his arms crossed over his chest. He had a fur coat over him as his tunic was silver and looks like it was dragon scales, his sword sheathed in safety as he looks at Gandalf.
"Gandalf." He nodded to him.
"Lily, I would like you to meet the leader of the company. Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf said and Lily looks at the dwarf leader. Of course, when he look at her, then at Gandalf. "I thought you said that there was a hobbit here." Thorin said and Gandalf chuckled a bit.
"Yes, I did. But this is the hobbit's daughter. I would like you to meet Lily Baggins." Gandalf said, patting Lily shoulder gently and she bowed in respect to Thorin, who nods his head back to her. The dwarf leader then spots Bilbo, who had heard the door opened. "So...this is the Hobbit?" He asked, walking up to Bilbo. "Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked, clearly confused.
"Thorin, what did the dwarves from the iron hill say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked, seeing him and Thorin only sighs.
"He said this is our quest, and our quest alone." he said, entering the dining room with the other dwarves, Bilbo and Lily looking at Thorin. "You're...going on a quest?" Bilbo asked.
They were gathered to the table to see the old map of their kingdom, Erebor. Lily heard stories of Erebor, but can vaguely remember it all since her mind is a bit blurred from her past.
"Far to the east, lies a single solitary peak." Gandalf said, Lily looking at the map as she was between Thorin and Bilbo. "The Lonely Mountain..." She whispered and Oin nods. "When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."
"Umm...what beast?" Bilbo asked.
"The dragon, Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Perhaps the vast of wealth of our people now lies unprotected," Thorin looks at the dwarves and Lily gulped a bit, hearing horrid tales of the dragon that destroyed the dwarf kingdom in mere moments and took the treasure to itself. Thorin noticed how she stiffened. "I taken you have heard of the tale."
She nods. "...I remember how travelers come by and tell many of stories to children at the market...and I heard of the story of the fire drake taken the dwarf kingdom years ago." She said and he nods, looking back at the map
"But the front gate is sealed! There is no way into the mountain." Balin said, looking at the others. "That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true..." Gandalf said, then pulled out a key from his robe. "If there is a key, then there must be a door..." Kili said, smiling a bit that not all hope has been lost. Gandalf hands the key to Thorin, which he puts it in his coat pocket.
"The answer lies somewhere hidden in this map," Gandalf look at the others. "The task that I had in mind requires a great deal of stealth."
"That's why we need a burglar." Ori said, smiling and Bilbo crossed his arm. "Hmph. And a good one too, an expert I'd imagine." He said and he then noticed how all the dwarves and Gandalf were staring at him, making him uneasy of what they are thinking of. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet," Gandalf started, making Bilbo stiffed and Lily looks at him. "You okay?"
"And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a Hobbit is all but unknown to him." Gandalf smiled at Bilbo and Lily realized what burglar they had in mind and looks at Bilbo, who seemed to lost all colors, his face pale of what they were thinking. "Give him the contract." Thorin said, looking at Balin. He nods and brought out a paper that was folded into squares and gives it to Bilbo. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangement and so forth." Balin said, making Bilbo stiffed even more.
"F-Funeral arrangement..."
Lily managed to catch Bilbo before he hits the ground, clearly unconscious and Lily tries to shake him awake. "Dad?"
"...but with you coming with us, Gandalf, that makes fifteen of us." Dwalin said, making a point and Gandalf nods, but smiled.
"Actually, there will be sixteen of us." Gandalf said, looking at Lily, who was still trying to wake up her father. Thorin looks at Gandalf, who seemed didn't like the idea of a human girl joining on their quest. "I will not have her join on the quest."
"Ah, but you may not see it, but I see great things inside of her. And it will be something that you might need, Thorin." Gandalf smiled and Thorin growled a bit under his breath. "...and if you are wrong?" He asked, making the old wizard smirked softly a bit. "You know that I am never wrong on things, Thorin. But if you don't want her to come, that is entirely up to you."
Thorin, sighs. "...you."
Lily realized that Thorin was talking to her and looks up at him. "Y-Yes?"
"...what good do you have? Skill wise." Lily thinks for a moment.
"Well...I know a bit of ancient rune writing, so I can decipher a bit, but I'm still learning."
"What about sword techniques?"
Lily laughed a bit at that. "If my dad saw me with a sword, he would die of a heart attack. But the only weapon I used is when someone tried to rob me from the market, so I kinda beat him up with a wooden pole." He nods, then looks at Gandalf. "I do hope you know what you are doing, Gandalf." He said and the wizard simply smiled. "I know what I'm doing. I always know."
It was the morning, all the dwarves gone as Bilbo was lost in thought if he should stay or go. He then looks at Lily, who was reading a book of deciphering ancient writings. "...Lily, what do you think I should do?" He asked and Lily looks at him, then closed her book. "...dad, this is probably a chance of a lifetime that doesn't come around, but only once in many of years. I would take it if I were you. You always said that you wanted to be like your great-great-grand uncle, Bullroarer Took." She said, looking at the portrait of an old hobbit, who had a orc's head in the picture as the hobbit was smiling.
Bilbo sighs, then looks at the contract.
"...pack your things, Lily. We're going."
Lily smiled at her father and hugged him. "I'm always with you every step of the way, dad." She said, smiling and feeling Bilbo hugging her back.
They were soon out of the home, running to catch up to the dwarves. "Where on earth are you two going!?" Mrs. Sackville Baggins asked, looking at the two as if they were mad.
"We're going on an adventure!" Lily shouted, smiling as she jumps over the gate, still following her father who had the contract in his hand; both Lily and Bilbo's signature on it. They were soon on the dirt road, trying to catch up to the dwarves.
The dwarves, travelling on horse-back when they continued on their journey to Erebor, Thorin leading the company-
"WAIT! WAIT!" They all turned their heads to see Bilbo and Lily running up to them from behind and Gandalf seemed to smile. Bilbo was gasping as he went up to Balin, panting as he hands the contract. "We've signed it." Balin looks over it and saw Lily's signature and Bilbo's signature and smiled, folding up the contract. "Welcome Master Baggins and Miss Lily...to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin announced, smiling at them. Thorin looks at them and sighed. "...give the Hobbit a pony."
"Oh, no, it is not necessary because I-" He was cut off when Kili and Fili picked him up by his arms and set them on one of their ponies and Lily smiled at him. "Well, she suits you." lily smiled, petting the pony's neck and it snorted softly. "Wait, but what about-"
"Miss Lily. I believe I have a horse that is just right for you." Gandalf said, having a spare horse with him that was black as the midnight sky, including the mane and it's tail when Gandal stops beside her and Lily smiled at Gandalf. "You knew that we would come." She smirked a bit, getting on the spare horse. the old wizard just smirked a bit. "Maybe I did." He said and Lily noticed how some of the dwarves were tossing small bags of money to the other dwarves. "...I take it a bet was made?"
"Some of them bet that you both wouldn't come." Gandalf said and Bilbo looks at him. "What did you do?"
His answer was given when a small bag of money was tossed to him and he caught it with ease. "Oh, my dear friend. I never doubted you for a second." He smiled, making Lily smiled as well. Bilbo then sneezed and sniffed. "Sorry. All of this horse hair, you know..." he starts to dig into his pocket, but wasn't finding what he was looking for.
"Stop, stop. We have to turn around." Bilbo said, making the others stop and Lily groaned. "What now, dad?"
"I forgot my handkerchief."
Lily groans, slapping her forehead in annoyance. "Here! Use this." Bofur said, tossing a rag to him and Bilbo caught it, but was somewhat had a face of disgust. The other dwarves chuckled. "Let's keep moving." Thorin said and they kept going.
"...my dad can be such a mother hen sometimes." Lily mumbled to herself as they continued their journey. Gandalf seemed to chuckled, hearing what she had said. "Do not worry, Miss Lily. I am sure that your father will grown accustomed to the dwarves, including you as well."
Lily nods and they are now on their way of their journey to Erebor.
This is the second chapter.
Thank you all for staying with me from the first chapter. I have good plots of what to do in this story so far, but that will be later on and you will might be surprised of it.
Until then,
BlackDragon157