A/N -

Totally forgot to mention at the beginning of Chapter 1; I don't own any of the Hobbit/LOTR. As much as I wish it.

Also, here's a little legend to keen in mind:

oOOo - signifies a change in character perspective

"Writing like this" [followed by this] - signifies another language being spoken with its translation if needed.

'This' - signifies thoughts or mind speak

So onto chapter 2.

Hidden Beneath

Chapter 2

Bilbo sat listening intently as Thorin and the dwarves tale was told. The Lady Ranger had already agreed to join the journey, and after seeing her skills with throwing knives, he was somewhat intrigued by what journey she was joining. Although he was also quite annoyed at the holes now in his wall.

The dwarves planned on reclaiming their kingdom from a great worm that had taken their mountain home as its own, and all their treasures within it. Gandalf brought out a map as well as a key to a hidden door.

"All that is needed now is a burglar," Valisilwen commented.

"Hmm, a good one too," Bilbo added. "An expert, I imagine."

"And are you?" One of the dwarves asked of him.

Bilbo looked at him in confusion. "Am I what?" He saw Valisilwen shake her head in the corner of his eye, turning to look up at her. What on earth were these people on about?

"He says he's an expert! Haha!" shouted one of the older dwarves, so old in fact he required a hearing trumpet and so apparently misheard him.

"Me? No, no no no no. I'm no burglar. I've not stolen a thing in my life," he quickly tried to protest.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr Baggins," Balin agreed, causing Bilbo to nod fervently. "He is hardly burglar material."

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend themselves," the tattooed dwarf agreed. Bilbo continued to nod in agreement.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin spoke, cutting that discussion for the moment. "But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor the brightest."

This started another loud round of objections from the dwarves. Bilbo looked around the gathering in amusement. It really didn't take much to set them off.

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili shouted confidently before looking to his brother

"And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time," Kili said looking at the grey clad wizard expectantly, but Bilbo saw the hesitant look on Gandalf's face as he choked on his pipe smoke. Kili looked to the Lady Ranger then. "And the fair lady of course, surely she would not have earned that pin without slaying a few enemies in her time." She looked at him in amusement. Bilbo could have sworn he noticed a tinge of pink appear to the dwarf's cheeks too.

Valisilwen leant on the table, causing the group to become quiet once more. "So who here has the skills necessary of a burglar?" she asked. She looked around the table. It suddenly erupted with noise as the dwarves argued amongst each other. Valisilwen straightened and rubbed her eyes in frustration, before glancing at Thorin.

He actually looked apologetic towards the lady in black before glancing around the table. "Shazara!" [Silence!] The room quietened again. "If we have read these signs, do you not think other will have read them too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 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 Bekar! Du Bekar!" [To Arms! To Arms!] the dwarves surrounding Bilbo cheered. He looked around them, such wonder at these fellows, no home yet much hope with such a small number.

"You still need a burglar..." Valisilwen reminded them, glancing at Bilbo and making him gulp as the group of dwarves gaze fell back upon him.

"What about you? Could you not do it? Elleth?" Nori asked of the woman. Bilbo looked at her in surprise. He had heard the elf kind were light of foot and very fair in appearance. It would explain much.

She scoffed in response. "I am no elf, dwarf. If I were, I would most definitely not be so patient with your kind as your elders would tell you."

"But surely you would have some skill in stealth?" Dori asked.

"Not the kind you need." She looked back to Bilbo. "The Hobbit would be much better with his small stature and their ability to go unnoticed."

Argument ensued again making Valisilwen roll her eyes. She moved to the wall and leaned back against it with her arms folded, obviously she was done with the conversation.

"Enough!" Gandalf boomed, his voice dropping to levels Bilbo had never heard before. Apparently, according to the looks on everyone's faces except Valisilwen's, neither had anyone else. "If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."

Gandalf's voice returned to normal and he relaxed back in his chair again. "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 hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find more members of this company, and I have chosen the lady Valisilwen and Mr Baggins. There's a lot more to these two than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this."

Thorin sighed, looking from Valisilwen, where his eyes lingered for a moment, to Bilbo. "Very well. We will do it your way."

Bilbo was shocked. "What? No, no, no."

"Give him the contract," Thorin ordered Balin.

"Please," Bilbo begged, feeling anxiety creeping over him. Balin pulled out a scroll of parchment and handed it to Bilbo. He handed another to Valisilwen, she quickly opened it, scanned it briefly and signed it.

"Alright! We're off!" Bofur exclaimed clapping his hands and the dwarves moved from around the table.

Bilbo looked at the parchment in his hands. "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth," Balin summarised quickly.

"Funeral arrangements?" He couldn't believe what he was reading. "Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fifteenth of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Eh, Present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations...evisceration...incineration?" Bilbo was beginning to feel faint.

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye," Bofur spoke up.

"Huh..." Bilbo could feel his anxiety building more with every line he read and the more he heard.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked with concern written on his face.

"Uh, yeah...feel a bit faint," he replied, trying to straighten himself out.

"Think furnace with wings," Bofur added after a thought.

"Air, I-I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

Bilbo took a deep breath, trying very hard to compose himself as he felt the others staring at him. He looked around at the others once and pressed his lips into a thin line before speaking again. "Hmm, nope."

He fell to the floor in a faint.

"Very helpful, Bofur," Gandalf said with a sigh.

oOOo

Valisilwen stood outside Bag End, leaning against a particular strong tree she found out there, juggling one of her throwing knives. She needed to get away from those noisy dwarves, especially if she was going to be stuck with them for awhile.

She was starting to wonder whether it had been wise to sign on for such a venture. The Hobbit was clearly not cut out for this journey and wished not to partake in it, no matter what her intuition or Gandalf believed.

Her sharp hearing caught the sound of Balin and Thorin talking in the entrance hall of Bag End.

"It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legends."

"There are a few warriors amongst us."

"Old warriors," Balin rebuked.

"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honour. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that." Thorin certainly seemed intent on taking back that moment. Valisilwen couldn't help but wonder why, what was so special about that mountain?

"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honourably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains," Balin tried to reason. "A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

So that was it. Typical. Everyone had a price.

"From my grandfather, to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin," Thorin said. "Not for me."

Valisilwen rode alongside Gandalf on her horse, Rhavaniel. Once known as the wild one, she could not be tamed by any Ranger, not until Valisilwen came along. Instantly, they were bonded and Rhavaniel allowed the Lady Ranger upon her back.

She looked up from her own thoughts and saw that Fili and Kili were glancing at her and whispering to each other. Valisilwen raised an eyebrow and huffed in annoyance.

"Everything alright, Valis?" Gandalf asked, smoking his pipe as they rode along. Valis, she had not heard that name in many months. It was the shortened version of her name that was given to her by those who spent much time with her. Her mind lingered on those people for a moment.

"Just dandy," she muttered. "Why on earth did you request my presence on this ridiculous endeavour? I could be patrolling the northern lands from real danger."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows, a look of mock hurt on his face. "You could have said no."

She huffed again, as she watched Fili shove Kili away. He slowed his pony to ride alongside as they were riding up the rear of the column. "My lady, Gandalf, we were wondering if you would like to join in our wager?"

"Wager?" Gandalf asked with interest.

"Yes, a wager as to whether Bilbo will join us."

Valisilwen shook her head and rolled her eyes, urging her horse ahead. She would not take part in such activities of poor taste. "I'll make no wager, but I can guarantee he will be joining us in a moment," she muttered.

She saw Fili raise his eyebrows at her and then look back to his brother, while she heard Gandalf slip some money to his brother watching her retreating back.

A moment later they heard running footsteps and shouting. "Wait! Wait!" Valisilwen smirked at Fili as she halted her horse and looked back past Gandalf and Kili.

"I signed it!" Bilbo shouted, running up to Balin's pony. Balin accepted and looked over it with his pocket-glass, before smiling down at Bilbo and looking back up towards Thorin at the head of the column.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Valisilwen smiled as the majority of the dwarves around her cheered happily. All except Thorin. She could see he was going to be a problem for this company more than the untrained Hobbit.

"Give him a pony," Thorin called, urging his on.

"No, no, no, no, that – that won't be necessary, thank you," he said as a pony was brought towards him. Valisilwen grabbed him by his pack and hoisted him into the air easily, before plonking him unceremoniously onto the back of the pony.

"You'll survive."

xo

Krayzee