Author's Note: Okay, so here's Chapter 2! After this, there will be no more Author Notes at the beginning of my chapters unless I need to say something important.

Previously: Gandalf sighed gravely, "He is here."

"Elvish"

"Khuzdul"

Thoughts

Flashback

"Voice over"

They opened the door and there stood Thorin as he entered Bag End, "Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."

The rumors that circulated around Bilbo held no truths except for one and this one stated that he had an affinity for both males and females which were why when Thorin Oakenshield entered his home, Bilbo thought that he was hit with a spell of lust. Bilbo had never seen someone so confident and elegant as Thorin who stood in the doorway. Thorin wore a royal blue tunic with black leggings, brown boots, and a thickly furred cloak around his shoulders. He had long black hair that was starting to gray around the crown with bright blue eyes in his face.

Unfortunately, soon after the dwarf opened his mouth, Bilbo's illusion faded as he frowned in confusion and ran over to the door, "Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!"

Gandalf cleared his throat gently and avoided the Hobbit's gaze, "There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin glanced Bilbo over as he took off his cloak, "So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked, blinking a bit as Thorin grumbled, "Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant," Bilbo replied but was startled when Thorin glared down his nose at him with a scoff, "Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

Bilbo glared at the dwarf, his opinion of him dropping drastically as he came up with an idea of scaring the dwarves into at least listening to what he said, "Actually, I don't do my fighting. He does."

The dwarves looked around confused as Gandalf just covered his ears, expecting this reaction, and Bilbo whistled shrilly. The dwarves froze when they heard a loud bang of a door bursting open and turned to look down the hallway. Fear seeped into their eyes as they saw the large black wolf running towards them and clumsily tried to gather their weapons, only to stop when the wolf stopped right next to a smirking Hobbit named Bilbo.

Soiran growled at the dwarves as his fur bristled but calmed as Bilbo gently patted the fur on the back of his neck, "My weapon of choice is him, my friend, Soiran."

The dwarves all stared at the wolf nervously as Gandalf sighed, "Bilbo."

"What? He asked!" Bilbo frowned but rolled his eyes when Gandalf stared pointedly at him, "Okay fine, Soiran, go away and leave the dwarves alone, okay?"

The wolf seemed to think it over before nodding and trotting back down the hall he came, making the dwarves relax slightly.

Thorin stared at Bilbo with guarded curiosity as Gandalf cleared his throat to gather their attention, "Let us continue this elsewhere."

Thorin nodded and they all walked back to the dining table. As Thorin ate, the rest of them tried to talk to him.

Balin looked over at Thorin curiously, "What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?"

Thorn nodded, "Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms."

The dwarves murmur their joy as Dwalin spoke up, "What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?"

"They will not come," Thorin replied with a pause as the dwarves murmured in disappointment, "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

Further disappointed murmurs followed but stopped when Bilbo peeked into the room, "You're going on a quest?"

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf asked softly as Bilbo brought a candle to the table where Gandalf had spread out a map which was in his pocket, "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo said slowly as he read the map.

"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time," Gloin frowned gruffly.

Oin nodded, "Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold: When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

Bilbo, hearing 'the beast,' looked concerned, "Uh, What beast?"

"Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals-"Bofur explained but was interrupted by Bilbo who looked at him deadpanned, "Yes, I know what a dragon is."

Ori soon stood on his chair angrily, "I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie."

Several dwarves shouted as Dori pushed him back down, "Sit down!"

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest," Balin grumbled as the dwarves started objecting, saying things like, "Hey, who are you calling dim?" "Watch it!", and "No!"

Oin frowned and turned to Dori, raising his hearing trumpet, "What did he say?"

Fili slammed his hand onto the table, making some of the dwarves hush up, "We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!"

Kili grinned excitedly as he put in, "And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."

Gandalf cleared his throat embarrassingly as all the dwarves turned their gaze on him, "Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't say that, I- -"

"How many, then?" Dori asked suspiciously as Gandalf looked at him in confusion, "Uh, what?"

Dori growled, "Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

"Hm," Gandalf embarrassed, started coughing on his pipe smoke; the dwarves jumped to their feet, arguing about the number of dragons Gandalf has killed.

Thorin jumped up in anger and bellowed, silencing the rest, "Silence! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors 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? To arms! To arms!"

All the dwarves cheered but hushed when Balin spoke up, "You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain."

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," twiddling his fingers, Gandalf produced a dwarvish key, ornately wrought.

"How came you by this?" Thorin looked at it in wonder.

"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safe keeping. It is yours now," Gandalf handed the key to Thorin as everyone looked on in awe.

"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili muttered points at runes on his map with his pipe.

In answer, Gandalf pointed at runes on his map with his pipe, "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."

Kili chuckled in amusement, "There's another way in!"

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done," Gandalf replied confidently.

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori put in sorrowfully as Bilbo nodded in response, "Hm, A good one, too. An expert, I'd imagine."

"And are you?" Gloin asked anxiously.

Bilbo looked at him confused, "Am I what?"

"He said he's an expert! Hey hey!" Oin chuckled as several dwarves laughed.

"M-Me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar; I've never stolen a thing in my life," Bilbo shook his head as Balin sighed, "I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material."

Bilbo nodded in agreement and gently slapped Soiran's snout as he came around the corner to sit next to him and the wolf snickered, "Shut up, Soiran. No one asked you."

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin growled out as Bilbo continued nodding in agreement and the dwarves began arguing.

Gandalf, growing angry, rose to his full height and cast darkness over the group as he started speaking in his "powerful" voice, "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."

Gandalf went back to his normal self as he sighed, "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 the hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him 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 grumbled softly before nodding, "Very well. We will do it your way.

"No, no, no," Bilbo began to protest as Thorin gestured to him with a spoon, "Give him the contract."

Balin handed Bilbo a long contract, "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, the time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo stepped back a few feet to read the contract with Soiran glancing over his shoulder.

Thorin leaned toward Gandalf and whispered to him, "I cannot guarantee his safety."

Gandalf nodded, "Understood."

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate," Thorin whispered back and Gandalf paused before nodding once more, "Agreed."

Bilbo began to read parts of the contract out loud, "Terms: Cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding one fourteenth of total profit if any. Seems fair. Eh, the present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof including but not limited to lacerations ... evisceration … incineration?"

Bofur nodded with a chuckle, "Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye."

Bilbo looked a little breathless as he shook his head, "Huh."

Balin looked over at him with concern, "You all right, laddie?"

"Uh, yeah... Feel a bit faint," Bilbo bent over, nauseous and pained as he fanned his face.

"Think furnace with wings," Bofur continued and Soiran looked at the Hobbit worriedly as Bilbo groaned, "Air, I-I-I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! you're nothing more than a pile of ash," Bofur finished as Bilbo breathed heavily, trying to compose himself as the others stared at him.

"Hmmm. Nope," Bilbo fell towards the floor in a faint but Soiran caught him by curling around him at the last second.

Gandalf looked down at him and sighed, "Ah, very helpful, Bofur."

Bilbo was soon up and sitting on his chair, holding a mug and talking to Gandalf with Soiran sitting on the floor next to his chair, "I'll be all right, let me just sit quietly for a moment."

Gandalf huffed in irritation, "You've been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me; when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young Hobbit who always was running off in search of elves and the woods, who'd stay out late, come home after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young Hobbit who would have liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps; it's out there."

"I can't just go running off into the blue! I am a Baggins... Of Bag End," Bilbo replied weakly.

"You are also a Took. Did you know that your great-great-great-great-uncle, Bullroarer Took, was so large he could ride a real horse?" Gandalf asked, gesturing to a portrait of said Hobbit on the wall.

Bilbo sighed in response as Soiran looked to the portrait eagerly, "Yes."

"Well, he could. In the Battle of Green Fields, he charged the goblin ranks. He swung his club so hard it knocked the Goblin King's head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole. And thus the battle was won, and the game of golf invented at the same time," Gandalf grinned.

"I do believe you made that up," Bilbo smiled a bit as Gandalf cleared his throat, "Well, all good stories deserve embellishment. You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back."

Bilbo glanced down at his tea and sighed, "Can you promise that I will come back?"

Gandalf looked the Hobbit over and shook his head slightly, "No. And if you do, you will not be the same."

Soiran looked up as Bilbo stood, handing the contract to Gandalf, "That's what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong Hobbit."

Bilbo walked away down the hall but paused as Soiran whined, "No Soiran, you can't go either."

Soiran growled and snagged Bilbo's shirt in his teeth as he tugged the small creature back towards Gandalf.

The Wizard looked at the wolf in amusement as Bilbo smacked his nose, "No and that's final!"

Gandalf sighed as Balin and Thorin watched Bilbo walk away with Soiran continuing to pester him.

The older Dwarf sighed as he leaned against the wall, "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 legend."

Thorin glanced off to the side before looking at Balin, "There are a few warriors amongst us."

Balin waved away his words as he shook his head, "Old warriors."

Thorin turned to him, determination in his tone as he spoke, "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. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor," Balin replied, an almost pleading note in his voice as Thorin held out the key Gandalf gave him, "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. Not for me."

Balin paused as he looked at Thorin, peering into his eyes before he sighed, "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

The dwarves gathered in Bilbo's living room, smoking their pipes by the fire as they all begin humming. Soon Thorin began to sing and the others joined him as Gandalf listened from nearby; Bilbo listening with Soiran from his bedroom,

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To find our long-forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height

The winds were moaning in the night

The fire was red, it flaming spread

The trees like torches blazed with light."

The song ended and the black wolf placed his large head on Bilbo's lap, the Hobbit reaching down to gently comb his hands through the thick fur, "I know what you're thinking, Soiran. 'You should go on this! It'll be good for you!'... But what if it isn't? What if you or I die and we never return to Bag End?"

Soiran continued to stare into the Hobbit's brown eyes with his own silver ones, making the shorter creature sigh before turning over and curling up on his bed, passing out shortly after.

In the morning, Bilbo woke up in his bed and suddenly realized that his house was very quiet as he got out of bed. He walked all around his house with Soiran, expecting to run into the dwarves; however, there was no one there. The house had been cleaned up completely from the mess of the party last night, almost as if it had never happened.

"Hello?" Bilbo called out, looking a bit lonesome as he roamed the rooms.

Soiran left his side for a moment and gently grabbed the Contract that was sitting on a table, bringing it over to the Hobbit with a soft whine. Bilbo looked at it and then looked up with a determined face before running around his home, packing a few belongings. He wrote a short letter and sealed it before taping it to his front door, running out the door of Bag End and down the path, wearing a traveling pack and holding the contract. He ran through Hobbiton with Soiran bounding after him, jumping over fences and pumpkins in his haste as his neighbors shook their heads at him.

One of the nicer neighbors called out to him loudly, "Hey! Mr. Bilbo! Where are you off to?"

Bilbo shouted over his shoulder hurriedly, "Can't stop, I'm already late!"

"Late for what?" The neighbor asked, curiously as Bilbo jumped with glee and Soiran finally caught up to him, "I'm going on an adventure!"

Further away, the dwarves were riding their ponies and Gandalf his horse, down a path through a wooded area. A few words of their conversation could be heard through the area, including "waste of time" and "use a hobbit".

Bilbo soon ran up from behind them with Soiran following not too far behind, "Wait! Wait!"

Some dwarves called "Woah!" and stopped their ponies as Bilbo caught up to them, handing Balin the contract, "I signed it!"

Balin took the contract and inspected it with a pocket-glass before he smiled at the Hobbit and wolf, "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

The dwarves cheered but Thorin didn't look too impressed as he ordered, "Give him a pony."

"No, no, no, no, that-that won't be necessary, thank you, but I-I'm sure Soiran can just carry me," Bilbo replied apologetically as Soiran came up behind him, snorting softly in annoyance at the suggestion for Bilbo to use a pony.

Bilbo climbed into Soiran's saddle and gently patted the wolf's neck as he got in line with the ponies that didn't fuss at having a wolf near them.

"Come on, Nori, pay up. Go on," Oin grinned as Nori tossed a sack of money to him; sacks of money began passing between the dwarves as some of the dwarves laughed.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked softly as Soiran padded up to Gandalf's horse, trotting in step with him as the aged wizard replied, "Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't."

"What did you think?" the young Hobbit asked curiously.

"Hmmm," Gandalf hummed before catching a sack of money tossed to him and putting it in his bag with a chuckle, "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second."

Bilbo sneezed loudly and sniffled as he sat atop Soiran's saddle, "Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction."

The Hobbit searched his pockets for his handkerchief but he was unable to find it, making him look up in shock, "No, no, wait, wait, stop! Stop! We have to turn around."

The entire company came to a halt and the dwarves started objecting, asking what the problem was as Gandalf looked over to him, "What on earth is the matter?"

"I forgot my handkerchief," Bilbo replied, matter-of-factly but soon, Bofur tore a strip of cloth from his clothing and tossed it to Bilbo, "Here! Use this."

Bilbo caught the rag and looked at it in disgust as the dwarves laughed and began to continue their journey, Thorin scoffing, "Move on."

Gandalf sighed and shook his head at Bilbo as they continued on, "You'll have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs and well many other things, Bilbo Baggins before we reach our journey's end. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead."

Author's Note: OMG, I'M SO SORRY. I've been on Hiatus for a long time cause I lost the will to write but the fire's burning once more so look forward to more chapters coming out soon in a lot of my fanfics. See ya later, bye~