Hi, I'm back! :) Fiirstly, thanks for the reviews guys:
kittykawaii: Thanks :) Here I am again, and you finally get to meet Thorin...
Minionloverforever: Dude your English is amazing. Thanks for the review and TOM *faints*.
OK on we go...
"Mind if we join you?" asked Gandalf, his booming voice straining to be heard over the laughter and shouts from the men in the pub.
The dwarf looked up with hooded eyes, and scrutinised Gandalf, before turning his eyes to you. He looked you up and down slowly, menacingly, as if he were sizing you up. The small smirk you noticed at the corner of his mouth told you that he didn't see you as a threat. In his eyes, you were nothing more than a 'mere woman'. Perhaps good for some entertainment, but as shallow-minded as a child.
You instantly disliked him.
He nodded silently, and Gandalf sat in the chair opposite him, sighing as the weight lifted from his legs. It had been a long walk.
The old wizard looked over to you, and gestured with his head towards an empty chair sat at a table opposite, and you nodded and dragged it over next to him, sitting down quietly.
A frazzled barmaid ran past, her hair escaping from the tight bun that she had constrained it in, and her face flushed. A light sheen of sweat covered her rosy forehead and her heaving, ample bosom. She was pretty, you noted, though her dress was plain and frayed.
Gandalf held out his hand to signal her, and she rushed over, breathing heavily.
"We'll have the same, please," he said kindly, gesturing to the lump of bread, slice of cheese and tankard of ale that sat before Thorin.
Not exactly a three-course meal, but you could roll with it.
She nodded, looking at you. You smiled warmly at her, before she sped off again in the direction of the bar.
The old wizard shifted forwards in his seat, resting his arms against the tabletop.
"I should introduce myself, my name is Gandalf," he said with a smile, "Gandalf the Grey. This is my companion, (Your Name)."
Hold up a second.
You glanced over at Thorin, then lifted your head to whisper angrily in Gandalf's ear.
"I thought you said you knew him." you hissed, but the older man held up his hand to silence you.
"All in due time."
You rolled your eyes once again at the cryptic response, and sat back in your seat, arms folded.
"I know who you are," replied Thorin in a gruff voice to Gandalf, ignoring you completely.
What, so you were a woman, and therefore not worth his time, was that it? Your hatred for the burly dwarf grew more with every second you were here.
"Well!" laughed Gandalf, noticing the souring in your mood and attempting to continue the conversation, "This is a fine chance!"
"What brings Thorin Oakenshield to Bree?"
Thorin's face darkened, and you instinctively reached down to your belt to wrap your hand around your small dagger, but the dwarf was not looking to fight.
A shame, really. You would have loved to cut off his-
"I received word that my father was seen wandering the wilds near Dunland." the dwarf admitted, and the jovial look in Gandalf's eyes disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
"I went looking," he continued, "Found no sign of him-"
"Thorin," interrupted Gandalf, his face grave, "It has been a long time since anything but rumour was heard of Thrain-"
"-He still lives," insisted Thorin, "I am sure of it."
Thrain. Son of Thror.
You had grown up with the stories, as had every other child in Middle Earth. The mighty dwarf, so the legends said, went mad with grief at the loss of his father, and ran away from home, never to be seen again. Thorin was his son, and of course would want to believe the rumours were true, but you couldn't help believeing what Gandalf had said. It was incredibly unlikely that a lone dwarf could survive so long in the wilds with no companions. Dwarves were sociable creatures, and worked much better in groups than as solitary travellers. You didn't hold out much hope for the life of Thrain, son of Thror.
Be that as it may, you did not want to discourage Thorin. If he believed his father was still alive, you were not willing to insist to him that he was chasing a fantasy. The dwarf may not be particularly polite, but that sisn't mean that you wanted to crush his dreams completely.
At this point, the waitress conveniently returned, and placed tow large mug sof ale, as well as two solid wooden plates of bread and cheese on the table in front of you.
Finally.
"I'm gonna pay you back for this," you promised Gandalf, before taking a long draught from the tankard and sighing in contentment.
He laughed, a booming laugh that shook the air around you, "I'll believe that when I see it, (Your Name)," he chuckled, and you couldn't help but smile.
You didn't have a very good track-record for paying people back.
"(Your Name)," muttered Thorin, and you looked over at him questioningly.
"That is an unusual name," he admitted, "Once which I have not heard before."
You raised one eyebrow, "Is that so? I must say, I have never before heard the name 'Thorin'. Only, of course, in myths and legends. Myths which I have disovered today to be true."
"You are referring, I assume, to the dwarves of Erebor?" he asked, his voice gravelly.
"You assume correctly," you responded.
Thorin nodded once more, then turned his attention away from you and towards Gandalf, as if your interaction had not happened.
Charming. You were getting really tired of this guy-
"My father came to see you before he went missing," he said intently, his thunderous eyes boring into Gandalf's, "What did you say to him?"
You took a large bite of bread, washing it down with another gulp of ale and listened in to the conversation.
"I urged him to march upon Erebor," replied Gandalf, surprising you by giving a straight answer for once, "To gather the seven armies of the dwarves. To destroy the dragon and take back the lonely mountain. And now I urge you, Thorin Oakenshield, to do the same."
Thorin's face became slack-jawed at this admission. It was madness. Utter madness, in his eyes.
"You did not just 'happen to stumble by me', did you, Gandalf," he asked gravely, already knowing the answer.
"No," replied the wizard, taking another gulp from his large tankard of ale.
"The dragon has sat there long enough." he continued, "Sooner or later, darker minds will turn towards Erebor."
"I ran into some 'unsavoury characters' on my journeys, and they mistook me for a vagabond."
A small smirk played on Thorin's lips, "I would imagine that they regretted that..." he muttered.
"One of them," continued Gandalf, "Was carrying this..."
He unravelled a thin piece of parchment from his cloak and pushed it over the table. You craned your neck to see it, and noticed that it was covered in writing. It was a language which you did not understand. Thorin appeared to be having the same difficulty. He looked up at Gandalf, asking what the parchment said.
"It is a promise of payement," explained Gandalf.
"For what?"
"Your head."
The reaction was instant. Thorin looked up, fear in his eyes.
"Someone wants you dead," the old wizard said simply, "Thorin, you can wait no longer. You are the rightful heir to that mountain. Unite the armies of the dwarves, and together, you can retake Erebor. Retake your homeland."
"The seven armies swore to follow the one who carries the King's jewel. The Arkenstone."
You sat up in interest at this, after having been quiet through the whole conversation.
"The Arkenstone?" you asked.
Thorin looked around at you again, apparently surprised to see that you were still there.
"Yes." he replied curtly, "And in cast the two of you didn't know, it was stolen by Smaug."
Smaug. The dragon. Was it possible that every fairy story you had ever been told was true?
"Well that's why we are here," admitted Gandalf, "To help you to reclaim it."
Thorin snorted in derision, and took another swig from his tankard of ale.
"So an old wizard and a little girl are going to steal it from under the feet of a fire-breathing dragon? I find that hard to believe-"
You snarled, and brought down your dagger on the thick, wooden table, where it stood, quivering. A 'little girl'?
"I will give you one chance to retract that statement, Oakenshield," you snarled.
Thorin literally jumped, started by your reaction.
"I assure you," you continued, "I'm just as capable as any man you will ever fight."
Gandalf placed his hand firmly on your shoulder, and gave you a distinct, 'not now' look. He knew your hatred of being underestimated, but clearly did not wish for a fight with the dwarf before your worst had even begun.
With a grunt, you removed your dagger from the table and placed it back in your belt, staring furiously at Thorin.
"Master Oakenshield," began Gandalf, "I have had the pleasure of knowing (Your Name) for many a year. Take my word. She is lethal with those daggers of hers. You would not wish to offend her."
You nodded a quick 'thank you' to Gandalf, and he continued.
"As for the Arkenstone, we will be in need of a burglar."
Ok yeah not much of you in this chapter, I was just making sure the base was set up before jumping in with the story. Please review and all that jazz. You'll meet the dwarves in the next chapter soooo :)